Harvest Shadows
by Winter Oak
Summary: HM: MM. After collecting 50 notes and reviving the Harvest Goddess, everything seemed to be going well for Jill... that is until misforutune starts occuring around the village. Now she must collect the rest of the notes before it is too late.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

* * *

Prologue

"We're not joking Carl," Ellen laughed cheerfully as she leaned against the beige-colored counter. Her warm chocolate eyes sparkled playfully as a bit of pink touched upon Carl's cheeks. Despite that, Carl still appeared unconvinced (modest as always). As if to prove her point, Ellen happily scooped another piece of the chestnut cake into her mouth.

Slightly dazzled, Carl turned to the brown haired girl's companion. The young rancher leaned almost sleepily against the counter, her usually neat clothes covered with mud, reflecting the time spent on the wet fields earlier during the day. However, the wearer didn't seem at all concerned about the condition of her clothes as she sat on the stool with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Jill, what do you think?" he asked Ellen's companion.

"You worry too much Carl," the rancher answered nonchalantly, already finished her cake. The brown haired female stared thoughtfully down at her clean plate, considering whether it would be a good idea or not to buy another slice. If she bought another piece, she wouldn't be able to afford the calf that she wanted to buy. 

"I mean, it's nothing close to the cakes you bake, Ellen," Carl added bashfully.

"Of course it isn't," Ellen replied with a giggle as she swept back a lock of brown hair that had fallen over her eyes. "Every cake is different. That's what makes it special." 

The café owner positively beamed.

"Hey Carl, could I get another piece?" Jill interrupted, deciding that she'd buy the calf some other time.

The blonde haired man hesitated, his brown eyes glancing towards Ellen. Noticing Jill's puzzled stare, Carl blushed, seeming to realize that he was the owner of the café and was responsible for his customer's happiness.

"I'll be right back with your cake," he cried hurriedly, before rushing to the kitchen.

Jill looked slightly puzzled at Carl's reaction.

"Did I interrupt something?" Jill asked her friend.

Ellen giggled, "You're always so clueless when it comes to stuff like this, but I guess that what's makes you so cute."

"Of course," Jill replied wryly.

"And the fact that you're so blunt," Ellen continued. She took another bite of the chestnut cake, looking thoughtful as she gazed at the rancher. "And easily annoyed."

Jill raised an eyebrow. "I'm not…"

The rest of the rancher's sentence died in her lips as she saw the end of a pointed hat disappears behind the counter. Jill pushed her chair back, balancing herself on the back legs of the chair as tried to gaze at whatever had disappeared behind the counter.

"Jill? What is it?"

The rancher turned back to Ellen, unconsciously twirling a strand of hair around a finger. Seeing Ellen's worried stare, Jill shrugged her shoulders and decided to leave the matter. It was probably nothing.

* * *

The brown haired rancher gazed thoughtfully at the darkening sky thoughtfully as she crossed Sunset Bridge. Cold and refreshing, the night air tickled her senses. It was always particularly refreshing after a rainstorm. The sound of the river rushing beneath seemed more vigorous as well. Jill stretched her arms, letting the cool air seep into her. It had been a long day.

Stifling a yawn, Jill wondered what she would do tomorrow. She hadn't visited the Sunny Lake for a while. Maybe she would find some time after going to the café with Ellen tomorrow.

"Hey, have you been fishing lately?" a voice called.

The brown haired rancher pushed her thoughts aside. Blinking, Jill saw no one on the path in front of her. Turning to peek behind her shoulders, the rancher only saw light seeping out of the café window. Jill shrugged. It was probably her imagination… again. Jill frowned as the word 'again' flashed repeatedly in her mind. She sure was imagining a lot of things lately wasn't she?

"Down here!"

Leaning over the railing of the bridge, Jill gazed down to find a familiar fisherman grinning happily at her.

"Hey Ray," Jill called, giving the fisherman a small wave.

The fisherman waved back, his other hand keeping a relaxed grip on his fishing rod. Beside him was a bucket full of gleaming fish –prizes of a hard day's work.

"D-do you want to come fishing with me sometime?" Ray asked, a bit of pink tinting his cheeks. "It's been a while since we've gone fishing together."

Jill raised an eyebrow, recalling that they had gone fishing a few days ago and mentioned that to Ray herself. Ray could sure be forgetful sometimes.

"Ah… w-well," Ray stuttered as his entire face flushed tomato red. "I thought it would be nice to go fishing again s-sometime."

Jill tilted her head to one side. Fishing with a friend sounded interesting; she was planning to visit Sunny Lake tomorrow anyway.

Tilting her head to the side, Jill noted that Ray appeared to be smiling more than usual. Despite what Ellen said about her being clueless, Jill thought that she was good at understanding people. Ray didn't have many friends because he wondered from region to region in search of fishing spots, never stopping in a village long enough to get to know others. That is, until he came to Flower Bud Village. However, staying at a village brought new difficulties for Ray as well. Not used to being around people, Ray was having a hard time interacting with the overly friendly people in this village. She could tell he was adjusting now, despite still being shy around some of the females in the village.

"Why not," Jill decided, absently twirling a pigtail around a finger. "How about we meet at Sunny Lake after lunch tomorrow?"

"S-sure."

"You're sure acting strange today Ray. Is something bothering you?"

Jill didn't hear Ray's reply though -- her thoughts and eyes were glued to a bush behind the brown haired man. The young woman furrowed her brow as she recognized the familiar pointed hat from before disappear behind the bush.

"Ray, did you see something pass by just a moment ago?"

The brown haired man shook his head in surprise. "Why?"

Straightening herself, Jill pushed herself away from the railing.

"Ah… never mind. I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

"Good afternoon Jill," Ann greeted. The redhead stuck her head up from underneath the contraption she was working on as the rancher entered the shop, traces of oil smeared across her cheek. In one grimy hand was a screwdriver, while the other held onto the counter ledge.

Jill returned the greeting to her neighbor as the door swung shop behind her. The familiar musty scent of the Junk Shop momentarily overwhelmed the rancher's senses. Despite the stuffiness, the Junk Shop always had a warm feeling about it. Perhaps it was Michael's warm smiles or Ann's excited chatter. Playing with a lock of hair again, Jill returned the smiles.

"So, are you interested in buying anything today?" Michael asked, wiping his grimy hands on a towel. He smiled warmly as he walked out from behind the counter.

"I'm just visiting," Jill replied, as she took a look around the shop. "It's not like I could afford any of these yet --not after I bought that giant butter machine a few weeks ago anyway."

"Aw, don't worry! I'll give you a jumbo sized discount," Ann cried cheerfully, her ponytail bouncing as she jumped up excitedly from behind the counter. Hearing a light cough from the direction of her father, Ann blushed. "I mean, with permission from my dad… of course."

Jill shook her head, waving Ann's offer aside. She was touched, though she was sure Ann would offer anyone who walked inside the Junk Shop a discount if she could.

" I don't think I could afford anything even with a jumbo-sized discount. Maybe I'll take up that offer some other time," she said dryly.

"I'm sure you can afford something," Ann exclaimed as she peered around the Junk Shop. "Oh, how about that picture book?"

"I think I could live without one."

"It's so pretty though," Ann insisted, her lips trembling.

Jill was about to reply with something sarcastic when she noticed that something seemed off about Ann. Taking another look around the shop, Jill realized that a person was missing.

"Where's Louis?" Jill asked suddenly.

"He's… he's in bed," Ann said slowly.

Jill looked up quizzically.

"We were experimenting with something and it exploded," Ann continued, tears forming in her bright green eyes. "It was my fault. I should have been more careful. I didn't know that someone would get hurt…"

"It's okay Ann," Michael said. "Accidents happen. Louis isn't hurt badly, and doesn't blame you for anything. Everything is fine."

Now that they mentioned it, Jill did remember the doctor sprinting across her front yard, and heading towards the Junk Shop this morning. However, she shrugged it off as nothing, thinking that he was late for an appointment or something. After knowing Alex for a while, seeing him rushing across town wasn't anything out of ordinary; in fact, she sees him doing that quite often –especially since he lived beside her and had to pass (more often than not sprinting) by her front yard to reach the rest of town.

"I don't think Louis blames you for anything Ann," she added. "He's not that type of person. He knew there were dangers in working with machines. I'm sure he has had plenty of accidents before."

That appeared to cheer Ann up a little.

"You really think so?"

"Yes."

Before she knew it, the redhead had grabbed a hold of her hand and was dragging her up the stairs of the Junk Shop to visit Louis, screwdriver still in her hand. Jill smiled softly, glad that Ann was back to her cheery self. What she didn't like though, was the fact that Ann was practically pulling her up the staircase. Last time she checked, she was quite sure that she could walk on her own.

"Ann, I'm not sure what you think, but I've been able to walk since I was two," Jill began. She was interrupted as a figure appeared at the top of the stairs.

This time, as the Harvest Spirite –yes, she had figured out that it was a Harvest Spirite that had been scuttling around town lately— scampered down the stairs, it didn't bother to be subtle. She was slightly relieved when she saw him, the notion that she had gone mad instantly disappearing from her mind. Shifting aside as he passed her, Jill wondered who he was. She was sure she hadn't seen this Spirite before. Frowning slightly, Jill decided that she might visit the Harvest Goddess Spring after.

* * *

"What's wrong with our fisherman?" Jill asked aloud as she joined Ray by Duck Bridge. She lazily stretched her arms, trying to get rid of the kinks in her muscles after pulling out turnips for the better half of the day. Her eyes wondered briefly to the colorfully painted sky as the fiery sun slowly sank beneath the hills. Hearing a sigh from Ray, her large innocent orbs wondered back to her friend.

He had been so cheerful a few days ago when they had visited Sunny Lake together. Seeing him leaning against the bridge gloomily without his fishing rod was an unexpected sight.

The brown haired man sighed again and laid his chin on the railing. Frustration seemed to roll of Ray in waves as he spoke. "The fisherman hasn't caught any fish for the past few days."

"Oh…" Jill paused as she tugged on a lock of dark brown hair. Her large baby blue eyes fluttered over Ray's dejected form, reflecting concern for her friend. "Perhaps you need a break? Everyone does once in a while, after all fishing all the time could get tiring."

Ray shook his head as he straightened up. "You misunderstand my meaning. It isn't me unable to catch a fish that's the problem; it's the fact that there aren't any fish in the rivers!"

Jill blinked, thinking that she had heard Ray wrong. The rancher furrowed her eyebrows, as she gazed quizzically at Ray.

"Um, Ray, there are plenty of fish here."

"I know that, I'm a fisherman Jill," the man replied, in a slightly irritated tone.

Ray's reply raised even further questions. Firstly, Jill had never heard him use that tone on her… ever. Secondly, Ray just admitted that there was plenty of fish in Flower Bud Village while a couple of seconds ago, he was complaining about there not being any fish. "Right… so, what's the problem?"

"There aren't any fish!"

Jill twitched, slightly annoyed. "You just told me there were plenty of fish."

Ray buried his head in his hands for a couple of seconds before raising his tired eyes to meet Jill's baby blue orbs. Jill's large orbs held his own stormy-gray eyes. Ray didn't know if it was the beautiful color, or the childish innocence that was reflected in Jill's eyes but whenever he would gaze into her eyes, she would inadvertently soothe the fisherman.

Ray sighed, "Let me rephrase this: There **used** to be plenty of fish in Flower Bud Village."

"And there still is," Jill replied, waving her gloved hand towards the luminous river underneath their feet.

"No, I've been fishing for the past few days, and there aren't **any** fish."

Jill rolled her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. Fish don't suddenly disappear and she said that herself to Ray.

"I know that," he said, raking his fingers through his hair. Jill could tell that he resisted the urge to add in 'I am a fisherman' line again. "Trust me on this Jill. There aren't any fish."

Jill nodded, though still highly doubtful of what Ray had told her. The rancher made a mental note to go fishing herself when she got the chance. There was just no logical way a river full of fish would suddenly by robbed of its treasures. "Give it a few days. I'm sure they'll start coming back.

Ray nodded, and forced a small smile on his face. The brown-haired man rubbed his stormy-gray eyes tiredly while leaning against the bridge and stretching.

"I'm sorry. There just hasn't been much for me to do these past few days. All I've been doing is going to Moonlight Café and drinking."

Jill decided not to comment on Ray's last statement.

"It's not just that," Ray finally said as he gazed dismally at the river. "Joe recently went to the sanitarium with food poisoning. It seems like the entire village is having a rough time."

"With Katie's cooking, Joe getting food poisoning was inevitable," Jill stated, without meaning and ill intentions towards Katie. Seriously, the entire village had been expecting a food poisoning case ever since Katie almost set the café on fire.

"No, I'm serious Jill. It seems that everyone in the village has been having bad luck," Ray argued, his gray eyes serious. If it had been anybody but Jill, they would have believed him just from looking at the expression in his eyes. "I can sense things like this. It's only because of this sixth sense that I've been able to dodge typhoons and survive storms in the ocean that appear out of thin air.

"I don't believe in bad luck," was Jill's reply.

"You'll see."

* * *

The days that followed Ray's warnings were packed with turmoil and confusion. Accidents followed one after another, as if they were pieces of toppling domino blocks. It seemed that no matter what anyone did, the pieces continued to fall in the path that was already laid out. In one night, the usually attentive owners of the Blue Sky Farm had ended up with an entire barn full of sick animals. Not long after, Tim was reported missing –only to be found lost in the mines after hours of searching. To top things off, the storage crates in the Spring Farm were broken into, resulting in a heavy loss of crops. To make up for losses in produce, Jill had tilled more land on her small farm while putting extra effort into tending her livestock. However, to her dismay, no matter how hard she worked, the rancher found that she didn't have enough stamina or time to take care of all her animals and the crops she had planted. As a result, Jill grudgingly cut back on her time with friends, while refraining from mumbling curses at no one in particular. 

Jill slumped tiredly against a Mora Tree, dropping her bronze watering can onto the ground. The can toppled over, water spattering onto the ground, but Jill took no notice. She seriously needed to upgrade her watering can. She had managed perfectly well with the current can before she had planted all these extra crops and never needed to have it upgraded. Now however, it seemed like she would have to spend the extra gold for a silver watering can.

"This is great," Jill mumbled sarcastically as she leaned against the tree. Her baby blue eyes swept over her field, noting that she still need to water a quarter of her crops. Biting back a groan, Jill tilted her head back, gazing dismally up at the darkening sky. The tiny stars winked cheerily at her, as if mocking her misfortune. Jill briefly reflected on Ray's words. Bad luck? She hadn't believed in such a thing before, and even after this week, she still found it hard to think that bad luck had caused all the misfortunes that had fallen upon this village. Yet…

Jill shook her head, pushing the thought aside. Presently, she had more pressing matters to deal with. Her eyes wondered to her crops again. She hadn't had time to water them all yesterday, and if she neglected them again, she was sure they would die. Sighing, Jill picked herself up, while clumsily grabbing her fallen watering can.

The small rancher stumbled as she pushed herself away from the Mora tree. The watering can weighed heavily in her right hand while Jill held on to the rough railing of the fence with her left hand. Dizziness slowly took over the farmer and before she knew it, Jill had collapsed onto the ground.

* * *

Author's Note: I am hoping to improve my writing skills and it would be a great help if you guys gave me feedback on this story. Thank you! 


	2. Selfless Note

Selfless Note

_Swirling fog encompassed the small rancher, as she stumbled through the clearing. Through the thick veils, a dim blue light twinkled invitingly. Shaking her head as if to clear away the fog, Jill focused on the light ahead of her, slowly dragging herself forward. She wondered briefly I she was heading towards the light --perhaps because it was inviting compared to the darkness that wrapped itself around her. _

_With each step she took, the fog lessened, revealing more features of the clearing she was in. Flowers decorated the side of the stone path she was in. The shimmering leaves of the swaying Chestnut trees dripped with morning dew. Slow and sorrowful violin music wrapped itself around the forest. _

_"I apologize for disturbing you like this, Jill," a soft melodic voice whispered._

_The rancher tilted her head to the side as she heard the voice. The vision of a beautiful woman with purple locks appeared before her, floating elegantly in the air. The hem of the Harvest Goddess' soft violet dress swayed gently beneath her as her crystal eyes lowered to look into Jill's face. The rancher felt herself being drawn into the Goddess' eyes, her undivided attention focused on the Goddess and her words. _

_"I'm afraid that the village is in danger and that I would need your help once again," the Harvest Goddess began. Her long lashes fluttered softly as her eyes lingered on Jill's face. _

_Jill slowly opened her mouth to question the Goddess but found that she was unable to speak. A surprised expression swept over the rancher's face. The dreams she had concerning the Harvest Goddess usually allowed her to communicate. It wasn't this that was off either. There was a certain coldness and distance between them. After trying a few more times, she gave the Goddess a frustrated look. _

_"I'm afraid that is the work of my sister… I have temporary broken her barrier between us to talk to you, but it is very draining. We have to make this quick. When I was transformed to stone, my sister, the Shadow Goddess took advantage of by absence and the dark side of human beings in this village. Since then, she has slowly begun to regain power. Her power should have diminished after I was resurrected but it appears that she is growing stronger."_

_The Harvest Goddess paused to gage Jill's mystified expression._

_"I know that you've been working hard to regain the rest of the notes, but I'm afraid that we need to work faster."_

_This presented a problem; the rancher didn't know how to earn more notes. She was doing all that she could in order to retrieve the remaining notes, yet nothing she did seemed to be effective. Jill squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. She couldn't let this village die. Yet, she felt like she wasn't able to do anything at all. Her eyes were pleading as she begged the Harvest Goddess to tell her how to gain the remaining notes. The Harvest Goddess had to know. She was the one who had asked her to collect the notes after all. _

_"Jill, these are things that you have to figure out on your own. I can't help you with this," the Harvest Goddess whispered, sensing Jill's unspoken request. _

_Jill clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She was already trying really hard to gain the remaining notes. Did the Harvest Goddess not think she was trying hard enough? If the Goddess wouldn't give her any clues, how was she to find notes in the time remaining? How can she ask her to work faster? Jill was upset and didn't bother to hide it. _

_Seeing the distressed expression on Jill's face, the Harvest Goddess considered the dire situation and hesitatingly spoke._

_"The notes are awarded with each important step taken in life," she said slowly. "Some steps take time, some steps require hard work…"_

_The goddess paused as she sensed that Jill was displeased with her answer. Of course, she knew that the Harvest Spirites had already told Jill what she had just said when the rancher had first come to their village. Clasping her hands together, the tranquil goddess smiled sadly. _

_"If you want something specific, I guess marriage is an event that would gain you a note," the Harvest Goddess disclosed. Her butterfly wings fluttered softly behind her back as she watched Jill's reaction. She was moved that Jill had such a strong devotion to the village. She truly was… However, she was also concerned about the determination and desperation she had seen in Jill's eyes. She could tell that at this point, Jill was almost willing to do anything to save the village._

_Marriage… The Harvest Goddess' pale amethyst eyes watched the rancher digest what she had just heard. She knew that Jill didn't intend to start a relationship with anyone in the village though she had a Blue Feather in her possession. The rancher wasn't ready for such a relationship. Yet, the resolute and unwavering gaze quickly returned to Jill's face. _

_Unsure of what to think of this, the Harvest Goddess shook her head. _

_"Jill…" the Goddess paused, sensing that her time was up. She couldn't stay any longer unless she wanted to risk losing more any more power. With her sister's power growing stronger with each day, she needed to save as much of her own strength as she could. "Feel free to visit me at the spring if you have any questions. I'm afraid that this method of communication is far too draining. Jill… please take care and don't be afraid to ask for help…"_

_

* * *

_

Jill groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. The first thing that Jill noticed was a giant headache. The second thing was that the coldness she had felt in her dream was slowly beginning to be replaced by warmth and light. Her baby blue eyes examined the pale green ceiling as she brooded over her dream. No… she couldn't call it a dream; it was too realistic –far too realistic for her liking. Now back to reality, Jill could sense the despair and darkness that hovered over the village. Whatever danger the Harvest Goddess had warned her about was there.

Furrowing her brow, the rancher realized that her house didn't have a pale green ceiling. Jill wrinkled her nose as she breathed in the strong scent of disinfectant. It appeared that this wasn't her house at all. The rancher lay numbly on the warm bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Oh… I'm in the clinic, aren't I?" Jill noted.

Pushing herself off the bed, Jill felt the sheets that had been lying overtop her shoulders slither off. The female spent a moment examining the simple hatched pattern on the blue sheets as she recollected herself. It was obvious that she was functioning far slower than usual today. Jill shook her head; she didn't have time for this. The small rancher closed her eyes, willing her body to function properly. Leaning over the side of the bed, Jill found her shoes lying on top of the gleaming tile floor and slowly tucked her chilled feet into them.

Light footsteps sounded off the tiled floor as a person headed towards her bed. "Jill? Ah, it's good to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I've felt worse," Jill answered honestly as she finished tying her shoelaces. She shook her head at the Alex's concerned tone. There was no need for him to worry about her. "I've been through worse."

Raising her head, Jill saw the tired doctor rake his fingers through his thick dark hair. Jill noted with a frown that dark bags hung below Alex's usually bright eyes. His smile –usually warm and friendly—was strained. Jill raised her eyebrows as she thought she saw coffee stains on Alex's lab coat. Honestly, it wasn't the first time she had seen Alex looking like he had just been dragged through a swamp, but today, he just appeared completely wasted.

"You look horrible," Jill said aloud as she placed a finger under her chin.

Alex raised an eyebrow and chuckled at Jill's words, "Yes, I suppose I do. It's been a busy week. People have been flooding into the clinic with injuries continuously."

His eyes darkened as he faced Jill.

"What were you thinking, working yourself to exhaustion this week?" he questioned, shaking his head. "I thought you knew better than most people, seeing that you've ended up lying in that bed only once before throughout the entire time you've been here."

"You don't look any better, " Jill stated, not fazed at all by Alex's accusation.

"But I know my limits," Alex replied evenly as he dug out a pen from his doctor's coat. Taking a clipboard from the bedside table, he scribbled down a note. "And at least I haven't fainted from exhaustion."

He paused his scribbling, peering at Jill over his clipboard. The brown haired rancher didn't appear too convinced. To be honest, he wouldn't be convinced either if he had said that to himself.

"Listen Jill, I just want you to take it easy. It won't help anyone if you faint from exhaustion," he told her kindly.

"I know," she replied. She examined her grimy gloves for a moment, as if considering what to say to Alex. Shaking her head, Jill turned her attention back to Alex. "I just really want to help the village."

Jill could have sworn that she heard Alex snort from behind the clipboard and raised an eyebrow, feeling puzzled by his response. Alex gently placed down his clipboard and tucked his pen back into his pocket as he faced Jill again.

"If you want to help the village, then take care of yourself," he stated gently.

Jill twisted a lock of hair around her finger, considering what Alex had just said. There was some reason to his statement, because she wouldn't be of any use if she were unconscious. However, with the current condition of the village, Jill believed that she couldn't relax like Alex wanted her to either.

"Is Jill awake?" Martha asked as she poked her head out from behind the blue curtains. Her eyes lit up from behind her spectacles as she realized that Jill was indeed up from bed. "We were so worried about you dear --especially Alex."

"Martha," the doctor protested as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"He's a good man, though a bit of a dawdler," Martha giggled as she approached Jill. She took the chair beside Jill's bed and took the rancher's hands in her own. "I recommend him."

At this point, Alex's ears were beautiful shade of tomato red. "Please stop harassing my patient –especially after she had just woken up."

Martha idly brushed Alex's remark aside, positively beaming at Jill as she rambled on about how Alex seemed to brighten up every time Jill visited the clinic –mentioning how Alex treasured every gift she brought.

Jill raised an eyebrow. Really, the gifts were nothing –just pieces of coral and herbs that she happened to pass upon while doing her daily chores.

Her mind shifted focus as she returned to reality and Martha explaining how Alex needed to see Jill each day in order to get a good nights sleep. That statement slightly scared Jill, though she was sure that Martha must have been exaggerating. Martha tended to do that sometimes. Glancing over Martha's shoulder, Jill saw Alex grin apologetically.

"You're definitely scaring my patient now," Alex told Martha. "Jill looks like she needs some rest. How about we let her go home?"

"Of course," Martha beamed as she moved aside. She patted Jill's hand. "Don't forget to visit dear."

"Take the rest of the day off," Alex added.

Jill nodded, as she pushed herself off the bed, slightly dazed as she considered her options. Her feet seemed to carry herself out the door automatically while her mind swirled with confusion. As she looked back at Alex arguing quietly at Martha, Jill played with a lock of hair, wandering how it would turn out if she did propose to Alex.

The rancher froze as she placed her hand on the doorknob. Wait… did Martha just say that Alex like her? As in, liked, liked her? As in, he wanted her to become his wife? Jill's blue eyes widened at the realization. There was no way that it was true!

Jill's eyes wandered over to Alex, who was currently arguing with Martha in a low voice. How could she know Alex's daily schedule, his favorite season, what he enjoyed eating, and his habits but not know that he had a crush on her? Sure, he had invited her to a couple festivals, but…. The rancher buried her head in her hands, mystified at her stupidity.

"Okay," she muttered to herself, taking in deep calming breaths. Her eyes wandered over to Alex once more and Jill buried her head in her hands. How could she not know?

Deciding that it was best to keep as far away from Alex as she could, Jill ran out the clinic door.

Marriage… Jill felt her stomach twist painfully at the thought. She didn't want to start a relationship with another person or settle down. Not for at least a few more years. The rancher wanted to build up her farm, collect the rest of the notes, and ensure that Flower Bud Village flourished. Slumping slightly, Jill also realized that she needed to be married in order to obtain some of the notes. The Harvest Goddess herself had given her that piece of information.

Jill tugged at her hair. What could she do? She couldn't just watch Flower Bud Village succumb to whatever it was that was out there. If she proposed to Alex, and if what Martha said was true… then he would accept her offer. The only problem was if she wanted to propose.

"But… what I want is insignificant in this situation," Jill said aloud. Yes, it was insignificant when compared to the fate of others in the Village.

"Humans are insignificant, so that is no surprise to me," a voice scoffed.

Jill looked up to meet a pair of purple eyes.

"Good afternoon to you as well," Jill greeted, used to Jamie's attitude. She had long figured that Jamie did not mean much of the things he said. In fact, she had a theory that he had been a really nice person before getting hurt by someone. Because of that, Jill had tried her best to befriend him.

"Are you trying to suck up to me again?" Jamie raised an eyebrow elegantly.

Jill rolled her eyes. "No."

The brown haired rancher shook her head as dizziness over took her. It seemed that Alex was right. She would have to take the rest of the day off. Leaning against the rough, blue clinic wall, Jill slid to the ground, seating herself on top of a lawn of fresh green grass.

A flash of concern flashed across Jamie's face but was quickly pushed behind his mask again. Jill tilted her head, surprised at the development. A grin tugged at Jill's lips.

Tilting her head back, Jill realized that the sky was cloudy today. The dark clouds seemed to stretch for miles in all directions. Shivering slightly, Jill noticed that the air was tense. Perhaps a storm was coming? That or the weather was further evidence of the darkness that was wrapping itself around the little village.

The thought brought Jill back to reality and the question at hand. Would she propose to Alex? She knew that she must to get a note but… "What does my life mean?"

Jamie snorted upon hearing Jill's question.

"Life is but a candle. It flickers, and glows and becomes no more."

The rancher smiled bitterly at Jamie's response. Typical. Wrapping her arms around her legs, Jill gazed blankly up at Mt. Moon. A melancholy feeling swept over the rancher as she recalled the day she had retrieved the blue feather. Closing her eyes, the rancher could almost recall the jagged rocks underneath her sweat hands, the wind blowing ferociously and the terror she felt on her climb up the magnificent mountain. If she had been weaker she would have fallen off the mountain. Her life would have disappeared just like that…

Jill opened her eyes, her mind coming to a decision. "I understand now… Thank you Jamie."

Jamie raised an eyebrow as he gazed down at Jill.

Pushing herself off the ground, the rancher turned to head home but found herself being jerked back as a warm hand gripped on to her wrist. Turning around slowly, she looked quizzically at her rival.

"Jill… there is something wrong isn't there?"

"I thought the Harvest Goddess would have told you first…"

"No, I wasn't talking about the Shadow Goddess you idiot," Jamie snapped. His eyes softened as he let go of Jill's wrist. He watched as her hand fell limply to her side. He noted how worn the gloves of her hand appeared and shook his head. "Something is bothering you, am I correct?"

Jill smiled. "You don't need to worry about me."

Jamie's lips curled into a sneer upon hearing Jill's reply. He clearly wasn't going to accept Jill's words.

"You probably have better things to do than worry about me after all."

The statement hurt Jamie, though he didn't show it. Of course, he had given the impression that he didn't care about others, but he thought that Jill knew better. Either she wanted him to get off her case and go away or he had misjudged her. Jamie refused to believe that he could be wrong about something, so he decided that it was the former.

"If it helps… I don't think all humans are bad. I… think you're a good person."

Jill smiled as she turned around to leave, though her feet stayed rooted at the same spot.

"If there is anything you need," Jamie grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You can talk to me."

The rancher frowned, turning around she met Jamie's purple eyes. She knew Gina liked Alex. If she proposed to Alex, and he accepted, then she would end up hurting the blue haired nurse. Gina deserved a better fate. Furthermore, she and Jamie had the same goal. Though they didn't work together to revive the Harvest Goddess, the current situation was more serious. The decision seemed clear in Jill's mind.

"Jamie, would you marry me?"

The purple haired rancher nearly fell over upon hearing Jill's request.

"Are you serious?"

Jill nodded, her blue eyes shimmering with determination.

"You must be crazy if you want to marry me. I will not make a good husband."

"I don't mind," Jill replied evenly.

Jamie 's eyes were calculating and serious as he examined Jill. The brown haired rancher tilted her head to the side, unsure of what was going through Jamie's mind. Though she suspected that he must have come across her line of thought. Jamie was an intelligent person and was they type of person that planned things ten steps ahead –after all, she was talking about the person who is able to ship over ten thousand dollars worth of products during days with typhoons and hurricanes.

"Hnm…"

Jill blinked. The wind howled loudly, pushing Jill's brown tresses over her eyes. The two stood steadily in front of the clinic, eyes glued on one another. Moments passed in silence.

If they worked together, they would definitely collect notes at a faster rate. What more convincing did Jamie need? Surely he could understand what she saw. Jill opened her mouth to explain this but was interrupted by Jamie.

"That means I accept," Jamie finally said.

Looking down, Jill discovered a small round object forming in the palms of her hand. Light shimmered around the object, while a faint note sounded. Spinning around, the note completely materialized.

_The selfless note: Sacrificing your happiness for the joy of others. A note of your selflessness. _

Jill didn't know whether to smile or not. She held tightly onto the note as if it were her lifeline. All she could do now was look forward to the wedding. This was unfamiliar to Jill. She was unsure of what would happen next. If something were thrown her way, she would have no idea what to do. However, she held on tightly to whatever hope she had, hoping that things would turn out right.

Little did she know that she wasn't just walking into unfamiliar grounds –she was walking straight into a dark and tangled forest.


	3. Wedding Day Note

Chapter 2

Fidgeting in the small wooden chair, Jill nervously brushed the wrinkles out of her wedding gown. Even if there were no longer any wrinkles, Jill felt that she just had to do something to occupy herself with. She needed something –anything to occupy her mind with. Her hand trembled slightly as she spread her hands over her dress once again. The preparations for the wedding were set up. The entire village had been invited. There was no turning back now. Jill breathed in deeply, pushing the thoughts of the wedding out of her mind.

Looking up, Jill stared blankly at her reflection. Staring back from the mirror was an elegant young lady –someone Jill did not recognize. A beautiful, glimmering necklace dangled elegantly from the woman's neck, her lips were a beautiful shade of cherry pink and sparkles were applied over her face. Was that really her? Instead of feeling pride, Jill felt slightly discomforted. This wasn't her. The person staring back at her was anything but Jill. Her hand twitched but Jill resisted the urge to wipe off the make-up that had been ever so carefully applied by her friends.

Gazing left of her reflection, the rancher saw Ellen carefully decorating her hair with blue flowers with a very concentrated expression on her face.

"It's okay Ellen, I think my hair is fine."

"I want your wedding to be perfect," Ellen giggled as she carefully placed another flower into Jill's hair. The brown haired girl's eyes shimmered brightly as she gazed adoringly at her best friend. "Aren't you excited?"

Jill gazed down at her lap, her gloved hands clasped tightly together. Once again, Jill breathed in deeply, attempting to stop the shaking of her hands.

"Of course," she lied. Closing her baby blue eyes, Jill wished that the day would quickly be over. For the hundredth time today, Jill reminded herself why she was marrying Jamie and tried to convince herself that Jamie would be a good husband. Sure he was rude, grouchy and uncaring but deep down… really deep down, he was a good person. Jill forced a smile onto her face. She truly believed every word that she said about Jamie –she honestly thought that Jamie would make a good husband with the right person to support him. However she just didn't want a husband.

"And here I was thinking that you would end up with Alex for sure," Ellen mused. Ellen sighed, running her fingers through her short cinnamon colored hair, careful not to dislodge the glistening, yellow pins she had used to secure her hair for the special occasion. "So… since when did you like Jamie? If you had told me, I could have done a little matchmaking!"

Honestly, what could she tell Ellen? That she didn't like Jamie? That she proposed to him because he was the first available man she had seen? Seeing that Ellen was still expecting an answer, Jill forced an innocent smile on her shimmering lips and hoped that Ellen would take that as an answer and come up with her own conclusion.

"So, you're keeping it a secret?" Ellen asked, to Jill's relief. The girl pouted sadly. "Fine, fine. At least tell me what you like about Jamie."

Once again, Jill had no answer.

Upon seeing Jill's detached expression, Ellen knew that something was not right with her friend. Ellen had worked with animals ever since she was a young child and could tell their emotions from the way the animals called and their behavior. Human behavior was much easier to read; whenever someone was upset or angry, Ellen could instantly tell. To sum it all up, Ellen considered herself to be an expert at reading emotions.

"Jill…"

The rest of Ellen's sentence was left unsaid when someone knocking on the door interrupted her. Hesitating for a moment, Ellen sighed and turned around, the hem of her sunny yellow dress flowing behind her.

Jill sat awkwardly in her chair. Hearing her door open, Jill hoped that it wasn't another person that wanted to congratulate her. If they were, the rancher honestly considered just smacking them upside the head –friend or not.

"Oh, Alex!" Ellen exclaimed as she opened the door. There was an awkward pause as Ellen stared at the doctor. "What are you doing here?"

"Would you mind if I talked to Jill alone for a moment?" the doctor requested in a polite tone. This was followed by another pause. "Um… alone if you don't mind."

"Oh, of course," Ellen exclaimed. Turning once more to gaze at Jill through worried eyes, Ellen slipped past Alex and out the door.

It seemed that awkward pauses were very popular today, Jill thought as the doctor stood by the door silently. The rancher clasped her gloved hands tightly together, waiting for what Alex would say. She expected him to be upset to see her marrying someone else, considering the little crush he had on her… but it couldn't be helped.

"Jill…"

Jill blinked in surprise as her eyes drifted to Alex's expression. If she thought Alex appeared worn the day before, today he looked as if he had been torn apart by crocodiles. His hair was uncombed. Deep bags hung under his eyes. His lab coat hung limply off one shoulder. She had never –not once during her entire time in Flower Bud Village— seen Alex in such a state of condition.

"Alex?" The bride rose from her chair and treaded across the room, careful not to step on the hem of her dress. Jill honestly considered just tossing away her high-heeled shoes as she fought to stay balanced.

Her visitor smiled politely as he watched Jill carefully make her way across the room. Stopping rather clumsily in front of the man, Jill tilted her head to the side and frowned. Concern and a trace of guilt swept over Jill upon examining the doctor. The first thing she noticed was that there was a strong stench of alcohol that hung around the doctor. Ignoring the fact that it would probably ruin her lip-gloss, Jill nibbled on her lips.

"You look pretty today…" Alex finally said finally, his eyes focused on something behind Jill. He stuck his hands into the pocket of his doctor's coat and forced a smile onto his face. "I don't think it really suits you that much though. Are you comfortable in that dress?"

"Have you been drinking?" Jill questioned, slightly disturbed about Alex's accurate observation. Was she that readable? Shaking her head, Jill pushed the thought aside, instead focusing on Alex's awful appearance. During the time that she had known Alex, she had never seen him consuming alcohol. Concern and a trace of guilt swept over Jill.

Alex made no reply, his eyes still not meeting Jill's. The two stood awkwardly together for a moment.

"Are you coming to the wedding?" Jill asked, tugging lightly on one of her gloves. The rancher nibbled her lip, wanting her friend to feel better. Somehow, she knew that Alex's condition was a result of her proposal to Jamie, though she honestly didn't know why he would take such a little crush so seriously.

Alex hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"We'll need to make you presentable then," Jill decided, grabbing Alex's arm and pulling him towards the dressing table. Pushing the man firmly onto the chair she had been sitting on previously, Jill began rummaging through the drawers for a comb.

"I remember so clearly the first day I met you," Alex said slowly, his eyes focused on a hair band lying on Jill's dressing table. "It was a spring day just like this one."

Jill nodded. "Yes, it was."

"When you first entered my clinic, I was… completely enchanted by your beautiful baby blue eyes and your warm personality."

Jill stopped rummaging through her drawers for a comb.

"I was surprised and delighted when you would drop by the clinic everyday to drop off gifts. Whether it was herbs, or turnips, you would bring me something each day. Martha teased me a lot about the gifts but I didn't mind."

Alex chuckled lightly as he shook his head.

"Before I knew it, you had become a major part of my life –your smiles, your stories, and your laughter. Each new day brought many wonders. I began attending festivals more and more often just to get a chance to interact with you outside the clinic."

At this point, Jill was feeling extremely awkward, her mind struggling to comprehend Alex's words. What had she gotten herself into?

"I had been meaning to propose to you but had been putting it off again and again for one reason or another. I think they were just excuses, because I knew you weren't looking for a spouse and was afraid that you would reject me."

The rancher stared vacantly down at the articles in the drawer, unable to meet Alex's eyes. She supposed that everything concerning Alex made much more sense upon hearing his explanation --him informing her on the upcoming festivals, his worried advice to take care of her body, and him seeming to understand her thoughts and habits more than the other villagers. Then again, she had thought that he treated everyone in an equally nice manner because… well, Alex was a nice person.

She had no idea… after all this time she had known Alex, she had no idea that he had felt... something greater than a crush for her for such a long time. If she didn't feel that tears were impractical, she was sure she would have cried at that moment. However, she wasn't the type of person to cry over issues that she had no control over. If she were upset about something, Jill would fix it. She truly was sorry to hurt Alex like this. However she had already proposed to Jamie. She couldn't back out now, could she?

The two stayed silent, basking in the uncomfortable silence. Moments trickled past. Alex was the first to break the silence.

"Do you love Jamie?"

Jill broke out of her trance and started searching for the comb once again. Why did everyone care if she loved Jamie or not? Jill raked her fingers through her bangs in frustration, completely ignoring the time and effort it had taken to style her hair. She honestly could care less about her appearance. As long as she was presentable, Jill was fine with it. Finding the comb, Jill drew out the object and straightened up.

"Take off your doctor's coat," Jill finally commanded as she handed Alex the comb.

"Why?" Alex questioned, turning the comb over in his hands. He silently studied the flowery design imprinted on the object in his hands as if unsure of how to use said object.

"I'll go clean it up for you," the rancher replied promptly, holding out her gloved hand. She flexed her fingers as she waited for Alex to hand her the white coat.

Alex furrowed his brow as be gazed at Jill's outstretched hand on the mirror. "You'll get your outfit dirty."

"I don't care."

"It's your wedding," Alex said almost gently, still not making any move to take off his coat.

"It… doesn't matter," Jill answered hesitatingly as she picked at the cloth on her glove. She noted that the fabric was itchy.

"If I recall correctly, every female looks forward to her wedding day the most out of all other events in her life time," Alex stated, his dark eyes focused steadily on Jill's expression on the mirror. The young man forced a smile onto his face. "Why do you look so depressed?"

Jill swallowed upon meeting the warm and concerned expression on Alex's face. Alex… deserved better. Even after breaking his heart, he still felt concern for her. Gazing back at the man, Jill found that she could not lie to him.

"It doesn't matter."

"Jill, what's wrong?" Alec questioned, his smile slowly disappearing. He turned around in his chair and met Jill's eyes. The rancher looked away. Comprehension quickly dawned on the doctor. He furrowed his brow while his dark eyes searched her face carefully. "Why are you marrying Jamie? He didn't do anything to you did he?"

"No, this is my own choice."

"But you don't love him."

"Love… is something I don't think much of."

"Jill…"

Jill glared angrily at the doctor, her hands clenched into fists. She was tired of everyone talking about love for another person. So what if she didn't love Jamie? He didn't feel love for her and agreed to the marriage. Love was irrelevant. "Why does everyone care if I love the person I marry?"

Alex reached forward and grasped tightly onto Jill's wrists. Pulling her towards him, he stood up from his chair so that he could meet her eyes. Their faces were so close together that Jill could feel each of Alex's breath as he exhaled. Jill ignored this. The rancher glared boldly up at the doctor as if daring him to stop the wedding.

Alex gazed worriedly down at Jill. He waited patiently, seeming to ask Jill why she was being so stupid. When Jill refused to answer, the man sighed softly. In an even voice, he answered, "Everyone cares for you. You are an independent person –almost to the point where you don't rely on anyone but yourself. People worry about you because they know that if you are faced with problems, you would not ask for help."

At that moment Ellen chose to enter the house. With hesitation, Alex let go of Jill and stepped back. Forcing a smile onto his face, he nodded politely towards Ellen.

"There is no need for you to clean the doctor's coat for me," Alex finally said. He ran his fingers through his messy hair thoughtfully. "I'll go fetch another one from the clinic before the wedding."

Giving Jill's hand a comforting squeeze, the doctor nodded to Ellen and headed towards the door. The man paused as he placed his hand on the doorknob. His dark eyes shimmered slightly as he tried not to look back at the rancher.

"Jill, I don't want you to make a decision you would regret for the rest of your life."

Jill faltered. Raising a gloved hand, Jill covered her mouth to muffle a sniffle.

"I won't regret this decision, Alex."

* * *

The Mora Trees were in full bloom, the pretty pink flower petals fluttering in the air whenever the wind decided to dance. Swaying gently, the fresh green carpet of grass sparkled with dew as the sun's rays struck down on Starry Hill. Jill gazed over the ledge of Starry Hill, recalling her first time here.

Alex had invited her to view the Moon during the Moon festivals as friends. He had entertained her with stories regarding the Moon and was great company during their evening together. She wondered if they could still be friends after she was married to Jamie. The rancher shook her head and reminded herself that she didn't have time to spend with friends after the marriage. She would need to work with Jamie to collect the remaining notes.

Soft music echoed in the background as Jill approached the Mayor with Jamie by her side. Her white dress swished softly with each step she took. To her left, Jill noticed Alex in the crowd but kept her eyes averted from him.

_Jill, I don't want you to make a decision you would regret for the rest of your life._

The rancher pushed Alex's words to the back of her mind and recalled her own reply. She would not regret this decision. With that decided, Jill focused her eyes on Theodore, ignoring the feeling that there was a pair of dark eyes gazing intensely at the back of her head.

"Jill and Jamie," the mayor began, a warm smile on his face. "Do the two of you vow to support and love each other wit affection during sickness and health as long as you both shall live?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jamie nodding. Jill blinked upon seeing a faint blush on his cheeks but pushed it aside. There was no turning back now. She nodded as well as Theodore turned towards her. Her pigtails bobbed elegantly as she raised her head once again.

"Well then, vow with a kiss."

At this point, Jill felt her stomach drop to the ground beneath her. Kiss? Jill berated herself. Of course she would have to kiss Jamie at the wedding. Turning her head, Jill met Jamie's unwavering purple eyes. The rancher faltered. She wasn't sure how. Jill had never done anything like this before.

The rancher saw Jamie looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Biting her lip, the rancher made a small nod that was only noticeable to Jamie. Jill slowly leaned forward, trying her best not to back away. As Jamie leaned forward, Jill thought back to the kisses she had seen others perform and closed her eyes. The young woman almost leaped back in surprise upon feeling Jamie's warm lips touch hers briefly.

Jamie's warm lips quickly withdrew. As she opened her eyes, Jill resisted the urge to raise her gloved hands and viciously rub her lips.

The crowd cheered loudly as Jamie pulled back, a definite blush on his face. Brightly colored pieces of confetti rained down from the sky as Jill turned around to face the crowd once again. Bells rang sharply in the background. Jill looked onward. She could only go forward now.

* * *

Jill sat broodingly on her doorstep, still in her wedding gown as she watched the sun set in the sky. It had been a busy and tiring day. The villagers had congratulated her profusely on her wedding after the event. They appeared so happy for her. Throughout the entire event Jill had been lost for words, letting Jamie deal with the guests. To Jill's surprise, he managed to handle all conversations without seriously offending anyone –though he did throw some sarcastic comments out once in a while as well such as "I can only please one person per day, today is not your day and tomorrow doesn't look good either" or "I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally". Besides the incident with the flying cake, Jill supposed that the wedding went well.

During the end of the event, she had received the Wedding Day Note. They were another step closer to saving the village. However, to Jill's disappointment, the atmosphere felt the same. Dark feelings still hung heavily over the village like nothing had changed. This was going to be a long journey. Lifting her head, Jill's bright blue eyes examined the darkening sky. What would happen next?

The rancher tilted her head as she heard footsteps approach her.

"Hey Jamie."

Jamie appeared to have changed back to his normal attire, sporting the striped poncho and sombrero. The purple haired rancher awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked down at Jill.

"We should go home now."

Jill tilted her head to the side, confused over Jamie's statement. She raised her arm, indicating the house that was behind her. "This is home."

Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"That little shack can't fit the two of us."

"Yes, it can," Jill argued, pushing herself off the ground to face Jamie. "There is nothing wrong with my house. Even with my two pets, it could fit the two of us perfectly well."

"My house is much bigger, with better appliances and furniture," Jamie replied evenly. His violet eyes flashed dangerously as if daring Jill to argue against his statement.

Jill took up the challenge. She definitely was not moving from this house. She had been living in this same house since the day she had moved into the village. Jill was not going to leave just because Jamie told her to.

"Just because your house is more expensive than my house, does not mean that it is a better place to live in," Jill argued, her blue eyes glaring angrily up at Jamie. It didn't help her that Jamie was taller than her; however, Jill still managed to pull off an intimidating look.

The two stood, glaring at one another. The wind howled loudly. From inside her house, Jill could hear her pig, Haro, scuffling around. If it were summer, Jill was sure that there would have been crickets chirping in the background as well. A cricket chirped in the background. Scratch that –it appeared that they were going to start their job early this year.

"In that case, you stay in your house, and I'll stay in mine," Jamie growled, spinning around and storming away.

Jill glared after the rancher, not quite believing that he just left her like that. Fine. That was perfectly fine. Jamie could stay in his house, and she could stay in hers. It wasn't like she needed Jamie for anything. Breathing in deeply, Jill turned around and entered her house, slamming the door behind her.

Haro and Roy scrambled over to Jill as the young rancher dropped herself onto the kitchen chair. The back of the chair dug uncomfortably into Jill's back but the rancher ignored the sensation. What was she doing? Didn't she marry Jamie so that they could work together to gain more notes? Covering her eyes with a hand, Jill bit back a groan. Thinking back on it, that move was stupid. It was too late now though. She couldn't afford to brood on the past.

Straightening in her chair, Jill placed her chin on the cool surface of the checkered kitchen table. Lifting her hand, the young woman took out the elastics and flowers that had been woven in her hair. As she raked her hands through her hair, Jill decided that she would have to push her pride aside and go live with Jamie. It was the least she could do after making this offer.

Jill was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Rubbing her temples, Jill gently opened the door, not wanting to deal with any more villagers for the day.

"Congratulations Jill!"

"I'm rather tired right now, perhaps we could talk some other time," Jill replied bluntly as she massaged her forehead with the base of her palm.

"But Jill—"

The rancher opened her eyes and did a double take when she saw no one in front of her. Shaking her head, Jill stepped forward, peering around the front of her house. Feeling a light tug on her dress, the rancher looked down to spot a small Harvest Sprite.

"Wha—"

The rancher paused as she heard footsteps heading in this direction followed by small squeaks of protest.

"Jamie, come on, be reasonable!" a small voice cried.

"For the last time, let go of me!"

"Jill is your wife now. Take good care of her!" another Sprite exclaimed.

Jill bit down on her lip. She didn't need Jamie to take care of her but didn't comment on the Harvest Sprite's exclamation. She had been able to survive on her own before marrying Jamie. What difference did it make?

Stepping fully out of her house, Jill peered to her right and saw a dozen Harvest Sprites dragging Jamie in her direction. The purple-haired rancher appeared torn between tearing away from the Harvest Sprites and risk injuring them or simply let them drag him towards Jill's house. The rancher decided to protest very loudly while digging his heels into the ground with a huge scowl plastered onto his face.

Gazing at Jamie's frustrated expression, Jill couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for the rancher. Deciding to save the Harvest Sprites the extra steps, Jill made her way towards Jamie.

The Harvest Sprites kept a firm hold on Jamie's pants and poncho as the purple-haired rancher stilled, stuffing his hands roughly into his pockets and glaring at Jill as if his situation was her fault. Well, it technically was. His scowled deepened once the Harvest Sprites all started chattering at once, trying to convince him to listen to what Jill had to say.

Jill raised an eyebrow, amused at the scene unfolding before her. The Harvest Sprites were very insistent, jumping up and down and tugging energetically at Jamie's clothes as they argued their points.

Jill parted her lips, deciding that she would just tell Jamie that she would move in with him. All this trouble wasn't worth it, plus her headache was really beginning to bother her now. Massaging her temples once again, Jill took a deep breath.

"What do you want to do Jill?" Jamie finally asked in an exasperated tone. His scowl deepened though he didn't look away from Jill's face. "There is no way that my belongings would fit into your house."

Jill stared oddly at Jamie. The young rancher raised an eyebrow in amusement upon seeing how easily Jamie gave in to the Harvest Sprites. She had thought that he was harder to convince than that. Smiling to herself, Jill realized that Jamie wasn't that cold of a person.

"I'll move in with you, Jamie."

The purple-haired rancher blinked slowly at Jill as he digested what the female had said. He clearly wasn't expecting the stubborn rancher to agree so easily with him. Then again, the Harvest Sprites were really annoying –maybe that had gotten on Jill's nerves as well. Shaking his head, Jamie carefully shook the Harvest Sprites off his leg and cleared his throat.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jamie scowled once again, crossing his arms over his chest. "You won't regret this decision?"

Jill raised an eyebrow.

"I won't," Jill said firmly.

Jamie nodded curtly, gesturing for Jill to follow him. His purple eyes appeared tired as he eyed the Harvest Sprites warningly. Despite his worn appearance, Jamie's infamous glares still had their desired effects. The Harvest Sprites retreated to a respectful distance for the time being.

"My belongings—"

"We'll retrieve them tomorrow," Jamie announced, turning around to head back to his house. A couple of the Harvest Sprites bounded energetically after him. "I've dealt with enough nonsense today. I'm sure you're tired as well."

He had no idea. Jill sighed softly, petting her two pets before following Jamie. _Things will work out_, Jill thought convincingly to herself.


	4. Jill's Mistake

Chapter 3

"You have to be joking!" Jill screamed, causing her two pets to dart under Jamie's kitchen table. The rancher bit her lip, trying to regain her composure. Gathering up her strength, Jill tried to grasp onto the slippery strands of calmness she usually had an abundance of. Jill raised her head and faced Jamie, who was looking rather unfazed from his seat on the couch behind the glass dining table.

Jamie raised an elegant eyebrow. Uncrossing his legs, Jamie leaned back in his black leather couch, his messy purple hair spreading out around his face. Closing his forest-green eyes, Jamie furrowed his brow, as if trying to understand something.

"Jill, you asked me to marry you. I don't understand why there is a problem with sleeping in the same bed."

Jamie opened his eyes, staring straight into Jill's own blue orbs. Normally the rancher would have held his gaze, but then again, Jill usually had nothing to feel ashamed of.

Jill averted her eyes, pretending to be particularly interested in a spot on the deep red walls. The rancher searched her mind for something to tell Jamie. For once, the straightforward, and level-minded rancher had no reply to a question.

"I… don't know."

Apparently, Jamie thought that she had something to hide as well. The reply appeared to frustrate Jamie even more.

"I do not see how you do not know the answer."

An uncomfortable and cold silence filled the room. Jill knew that Jamie was still waiting for her reply but the female rancher had nothing to say to Jamie, or rather, she couldn't find the words to explain the situation to Jamie. A few more moments passed by. Jill squirmed as she felt Jamie's icy gaze resting on her but kept her eyes averted.

"I only have one bed," Jamie growled, breaking the silence. The purple haired rancher crossed his arms as he rose from the couch. "If you refuse to sleep on the bed then you'll have to spend the night on the couch."

Without looking back, Jamie turned around and stormed up the stairs.

She stood awkwardly by the front door for a moment, the coolness of the hard wood floor seeping through her socks. Jill didn't feel particularly angry at Jamie's reaction as it was expected. Considering the situation, he had the right to be upset. The rancher unconsciously rubbed her arm as she gazed around Jamie's house. The kitchen on the far left contained wide counters with polished and clean surfaces that stretched from the front to the back wall, a sink and a few more counters were positioned parallel to the counters lined against the wall, a large fridge stood by the far wall, and a large, black table was parked against the sink.

"Odd," Jill said aloud, trying to fill the silence. Feeling her pet dog, Roy, nudge her leg, Jill kneeled down and ran her hand along his head. As she absentmindedly petted Roy, Jill continued to survey the kitchen.

Jill furrowed her brow. The rancher visualized her own kitchen with utensils and flower vases laying scattered across kitchen counters, left over food and library books stacked on the kitchen table, and pictures of family and friends stuck on her fridge. Jamie's kitchen was definitely cleaner and more organized than her own, but something essential seemed to be missing from Jamie's kitchen. It was odd and definitely insane but Jill preferred her own small and messy kitchen instead of Jamie's extravagant and neat one.

After barking a quick goodnight to Jill, Roy scampered away to join his companion somewhere in Jamie's kitchen. The faint comfort and warmth she had felt in Jamie's home had disappeared as Roy disappeared in the darkness.

Turning right, Jill was met with the dining room. A large, fluffy, oval-shaped, burgundy carpet was spread over the cold hardwood floor. On top of the carpet was a round glass top table supported by a black metal frame structure. Two couches bordered the table, the one with three seats facing the right wall, and the two seated couch facing forward. A large television was placed against the far right wall. Large heavy black curtains hung limply over the two windows on the wall behind Jill, blocking out everything from outside. Even the comforting and familiar sounds of owls calling were blocked out from the house. Jill shivered.

Finding the light switch by the door, the rancher gently pushed the switch, turning off the lights. Jill blinked, her eyes adjusting to the darkened room. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped ten degrees more. Jill quietly stepped onto the fluffy carpet, the soles of her feet sighing with relief upon leaving the cold hardwood floor. Settling down on the large black leather couch, Jill drew her legs to her chest. Why did this feel so wrong? Jill felt tears gathering in her eyes but fought to prevent them from leaking out.

Her chest constricted painfully as Jill shook her head, trying her hardest to not show any signs of weakness or defeat. She had convinced herself that she would do this. She couldn't back out now. Brushing back tears, Jill rubbed her bare arms, wondering why wedding dressed didn't have sleeves. She cursed Jamie for not allowing her to bring her belongings today. She also cursed the man for not offering a blanket of some sort to her.

Still curled up in a tight ball, Jill rested her head against the armrest. She didn't care if her dress were to become wrinkled –all she wanted now was sleep. Sniffling slightly, Jill slowly let the darkness wrap around her, lulling her to sleep.

_Jill spun around, feeling something watching her back. The rancher was met with nothing by darkness. The rancher rubbed her arms, feeling somewhat irked by the continual plane of darkness. Turning back, Jill shivered and continued walking. She was searching for something. She needed to find something before it was too late. _

_Yes… the notes. She needed to find the notes. Jill quickened her pace. _

_However, no matter how far or how fast she was to walk, Jill couldn't seem to get anywhere. Her surroundings continued to be dark and smoky, and the speck of light in front of her stayed the same size. _

_Jill began to panic, her breaths becoming heavier and quicker. She needed to reach the light. The young woman broke into a run. The cold air raked through her hair, its icy fingers scratching her scalp. Her legs burned as they yearned for her to stop. Each breath felt like needles were sticking into her lungs. _

_Jill screamed as she slipped. However instead of landing on her hands and knees, the young woman found herself falling. A terrible gut wrenching feeling filled Jill as she felt the ground beneath her give way. _

Jill opened her eyes, slightly confused when for the second time this week, she found herself gazing up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Blinking slowly, Jill pushed herself up from her lying position on the couch, her wedding dress ruffling slightly as the rancher swung her legs off the warm leather couch.

Gazing detachedly at the ruffles and flowers sewed onto the outfit, Jill blinked numbly. Breathing in deeply, Jill brushed out the wrinkles that were created overnight from sleeping in the outfit.

"I see you're finally awake."

Jill turned around to find Jamie sitting calmly by the kitchen table. His eyes were focused on a couple sheets of paper in front of him as he robotically spooned cereal into his mouth. Without taking his eyes off the papers, Jamie pointed to a bag by the door.

"Your clothes and other essential belongings."

Jill blinked, surprised that Jamie had taken the time to pack everything up for her and bring it to his house. The rancher felt slightly guilty for misjudging Jamie and becoming angry with him last night. Then again, she had been through a stressful day and Jamie hadn't been much of a gentleman. Rising onto her feet, Jill quietly retrieved the bag.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Jamie replied. "The Harvest Sprites went and got you the bag. I have no idea how they got in the house though."

Jamie furrowed his brow, contemplating the issue. He eyed the locked doors and window briefly while mumbling about the Harvest Sprites.

"Oh…"

Jill gazed down at the bag and furrowed her brow. She'll have to thank the Harvest Sprites when she sees them again. Opening the bag, Jill found, to her great relief, her regular farm clothes lying neatly folded on the top of her pile of belongings.

"Jill, do you feel like explaining—"

"Jamie, could you tell me where the washroom is?" Jill asked, fully knowing that Jamie was going to ask her the same question she was trying to avoid.

The purple-haired rancher frowned. Grudgingly stabbing his spoon into his cereal, Jamie growled, "Upstairs. Don't touch my stuff."

Feeling slightly guilty, Jill nodded and headed for the stairs. The rancher could feel Jamie's gaze on her back but tried her best to pretend that nothing was wrong. She didn't understand why she felt so guilty. Everything had been going as planned. Nothing was wrong. So… why did everything seemed so out of place?

Jill continued up the stairs in a casual pace as she analyzed the situation. Jamie was upset. That was the major issue. He shouldn't be as upset as he was though. Of course, they had issues to work out, similar to when they were friends/rivals. However, something else seemed to be bothering Jamie. Jill paused. Jamie didn't usually care about what she did. In fact, if Jamie didn't care that much about anyone else at all. Then why was he asking her so many personal questions?

Jill furrowed her brow and shook her head again. No, she couldn't say that Jamie didn't care about anyone. Jamie did care about others but didn't show it. Every year, he donates the most items to the town's donation box so that everyone could enjoy the festivals. Sure it gave Jamie bragging rights as well but… Jill felt that there was something deeper to Jamie.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Jill placed on hand against the wall as she gazed at the room. A large bed placed in the middle of the room with two night tables positioned on both sides of the bed. On the far right was a window with black curtains blocking out all light. A large wooden dresser, bookshelf and cabinet were placed on Jill's left. As Jill gazed around the neat and organized room, she realized what was missing from Jamie's home. Warmth.

There were absolutely no pictures or other personal items in Jamie's house at all. The tabletops of the night table were bare, his bookshelves lacked favorite stories, containing only instruction manuals and the walls were naked and plain. Jill ran her hand along the wall, wondering why Jamie didn't have anything in his house except items that were necessary.

The rancher spotted a door on the far left wall and headed towards it to find the washroom. Just like every other room in the house, the washroom was spotless and organized. Though not necessarily a good feature for the other rooms, Jill was thankful that the washroom was clean and organized. Staring at her tired reflection, Jill ran a hand through her tangled hair.

Running her hand through her hair again, Jill attempted to get rid of the tangles. The rancher winced slightly as he hair refused to cooperate.

"This isn't going to work," Jill said to herself. Her voice echoed in the large washroom.

Gazing down at the drawers, Jill considered borrowing one of Jamie's combs. The rancher hesitated for a moment as her hand rested on the handle of the drawer. She recalled Jamie saying that he didn't want her touching any of his belongings. However, she didn't think he meant something as trivial as a comb. Pulling the drawer open, Jill dug out a small wooden comb with flowers carved onto wood.

It was odd finding something as pretty as the comb in Jamie's house. Everything else appeared to exist only to serve a function, but the comb seemed to be an object that was just for looking at… something personal of Jamie's.

"I thought I told you not to touch anything."

Jill turned around and was met with an angry pair of green eyes. Slightly surprised by Jamie's sudden appearance, Jill took a few steps back.

"Your request is a little unfair," Jill replied bluntly. "Seeing that we are married and live in the same house, I find it difficult for me not to touch any of your belongings."

Jamie's scowl deepened as he reached forward and snatched the comb out of Jill's hands. The purple-haired rancher placed the comb down on the table and glared down at Jill.

"Married you say? Did you ever consider me to be your husband?" Jamie questioned. As he spoke, Jamie's eyes held an emotion that Jill couldn't quite decipher. The forest-green eyes were stormy, but didn't hold the raging quality that he had when he was usually angry. Regardless, Jill could tell that Jamie wasn't pleased.

The rancher furrowed her brow. Did she consider Jamie to be her husband? Jill knew that she didn't care for Jamie in the way that a wife was supposed to care for her husband, but that does not necessarily mean she didn't consider their marriage to be valid.

Jill faltered. Then again, she hadn't put her spirit into the wedding. In fact, the rancher had felt terrible during the entire time. Jill raised a hand to massage her temples. She had married Jamie for the purpose of working together and gaining more notes for the Harvest Goddess, but…

"You don't have any feelings for me at all do you?"

Jill raised her head to meet Jamie's shimmering eyes. At that moment something clicked. Jamie had feelings for her.

Upon realizing the reason for Jamie's behavior, Jill didn't know what to do. If she were to be with any other person in the village, Jill would be able to make calculated replies and react in a way that would please the other villager. However, facing Jamie and realizing that there was more to risk then what she usually dealt with, Jill had no clue how to answer or act.

"Jamie…"

"It's a simple yes or no question, Jill."

Jill weighed her choices. From Jamie's behavior, he appeared to already know the truth. If she were to lie, would he believe her? A part of her told her that Jamie would believe her… that he would believe anything she told him. Jill furrowed her brow. That wasn't logical at all though.

"I… I don't," Jill admitted. Those two words rang loudly in Jill's head. She didn't have feelings for Jamie. She knew that going into the marriage and had calculated everything out… but why did it sound so wrong now?

Jamie laughed hollowly. The purple-haired rancher clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as his nails dug into his flesh.

"Why then? Why would you marry me if you didn't have any feelings for me at all?" Jamie asked quietly.

Each word Jamie said made Jill's heart tremor with guilt. Jill bit her lip as she gazed at Jamie's pained expression. She had no idea. She didn't understand why things had ended up this way. She had always been the person in the village that was the most observant. While others spent their time alone minding their own business, she would take the time to chat with the villagers, getting to know their personalities better and listening patiently to their latest problems. Using what Jill had learned and memorized about each villager, she was able to find each person easily in their usual spots and predict their actions before they performed them. How could she have missed the fact that Alex and Jamie both had feelings other than friendship for her?

Jill felt her eyes sting as tears welled up once again. She couldn't cry in front of Jamie though. Crying wouldn't help the situation. The rancher bit her lip as she forced herself to meet Jamie's eyes.

At this point, Jill decided that it would be best to reply with the truth.

"I'm sorry… I- I thought you understood the purpose of our marriage when I proposed."

Jill bit down on her lip harder, berating herself for saying something as cold and indifferent as she just said. Regret slowly filled Jill's entire being. Opening her mouth, Jill started to apologize, meaning to take back her words.

Jamie's fists shook slightly. Jill did a double take as noticed that Jamie's eyes were teary. Jamie never cried. He never shed a tear no matter what happened. Even when Jill beat him to reviving the Harvest Goddess, the person that probably meant the most to Jamie, Jamie never cried.

"Jamie—"

"I don't want to hear any more."

Reaching forward, he gripped tightly on to one of Jill's wrists. Jill winced at his pincer like grip but didn't pull away. She held Jamie's teary eyes with her own sad and remorseful blue orbs.

"So the only reason you proposed to me was to use me," Jamie asked, trying to keep his voice even.

Jill didn't really see it like that but from other perspectives, what Jamie said was valid. She was using him. Jill bit her lip. Her action of biting her lip was enough of a message for Jamie to figure out her answer.

Jamie pulled on Jill's wrist, drawing Jill out of the washroom. Jill stumbled slightly at Jamie's abrupt movement.

"Jamie, please wait!"

His mouth set in a grim line, Jamie continued pulling Jill along with him. The male forcefully dragged Jill down the stairs, too angry to listen to Jill's protests. Jill stumbled, tripping over her long white gown as she followed him.

"Jamie, stop this!"

Jamie stopped in the middle of the kitchen, spinning around to meet Jill's eyes. His grip on her wrist tightened as he firmly held Jill in place.

"Out of all the people in the village, I thought you would be the one to understand the significance of a marriage," Jamie said in a low voice. He leaned closer to Jill as he pronounced each word.

Jill bit her lip, her teeth sinking into her soft flesh.

"You weren't one of the gossiping girls, comparing guys to one another, nor were you a person who fantasized over impossible romances."

Jill froze but was violently jerked by Jamie. Since when did Jamie know so much about her? The rancher closed her eyes, the fact that she had been completely oblivious to certain people around her fully sinking in. The rancher felt all feeling her body leave her as Jamie continued to stare at her. Even the pincer like grip on her wrist was numbed.

"I thought you understood how delicate the heart was. I thought you understood how much it hurts others when someone played with another's heart."

Jill didn't dare look into Jamie's face. The anger and hurt in his voice were knives, stabbing into her heart. Jill tried to find her voice to explain, but her throat seemed to have shut down. The rancher squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face. Even if she could have spoken, what would she say to Jamie? He was right, what she had done was wrong.

Jamie continued across the dining room, Jill still in tow. Opening the door, Jamie pushed Jill out of the house. Regaining some of her senses, Jill spun around to face Jamie. She had to at least tell him that she didn't mean to hurt him. She had to explain to him…

"Jamie—"

"I am truly an idiot," Jamie laughed. "I don't want to ever see you again."

Before Jill could protest, the door was slammed in her face. Jill trembled slightly as she stared at the door in front of her. So that was it. She was kicked out of Jamie's house. The rancher rubbed her wrist quietly as she turned away from Jamie's house. Instead of the numbness she had felt before, Jill felt completely empty now.

She needed time to think over the situation as well. What would she do now? She wasn't even married to Jamie for one day and she was kicked out. How pathetic. The rancher slouched slightly. Jill gazed down at the ground as her feet slowed to a stop.

"Perhaps I need to reevaluate myself. Everything that I've been doing… I've made too many miscalculations," Jill said softly to herself. Straightening up, Jill gazed over at the clinic. Alex was an intelligent friend. He would be able to offer her some advice. Jill hesitated as she gazed at the building. She would have to face Alex eventually. It was better to clear things up sooner rather than later.

Her footsteps heavy, Jill started towards the building. It was strange how odd it felt visiting Alex after she had done so numerous times before. Pushing the familiar clinic door open, Jill stepped into the quiet building.

The first person Jill met was Gina. As usual the blue-haired nurse was working diligently. Today she was busily wiping windows as she hummed softly to herself. A look of concentration was on her eyes as she focused on a particularly grimy spot on the glass. Jill tilted her head to the side as she continued to observe Gina's attire. The nurse's usually bright honey-colored eyes seemed dulled. The little nurse turned around from wiping a window to greet the guest.

"Hey Gina," Jill greeted feeling slightly cheered upon seeing her friend.

Gina placed down her washcloth and nodded politely as she swept her hands over her apron, trying to make herself presentable. Realizing that Jill was looking at her oddly Gina forced a smile and approached the rancher.

"Hello, Jill. Could I do anything for you?"

"Are you alright?" Jill asked as she observed her usually cheerful friend.

"I'm fine," Gina replied quietly.

The young nurse gazed down at her hands as she bit her lip, pondering over her next words. Jill waited patiently for her friend to say what was on her mind. "I'm… ah, never mind… what could I do for you?"

"I'm looking for Alex," Jill finally said, deciding to let the nurse off the hook this time. Jill could easily convince Gina to tell her what was on her mind but today she had more pressing matters. Jill forced a smile on her face as she gazed around the empty clinic. "Odd… He's usually at the clinic at this time. Could you tell me where he is?"

The nurse bit her lip once again and looked away from Jill.

"I don't think that finding him would be a good idea."

Jill frowned.

"Why not?" Jill questioned. The nurse didn't reply. "Gina, just tell me where he is. I need to talk to him."

Gina appeared torn.

"Please Gina, I need his help," Jill said, knowing that it would just take those words for Gina to give in. Gina had a soft heart and would always to her best to help everyone, no matter who they were.

Jill was very surprised though when Gina clenched her hands and firmly said no. Her usually soft honey-colored eyes shimmered slightly as she held her head high and met Jill's eyes.

The rancher bit her lip, feeling extremely upset over the fact that her calculations were wrong once again and that she couldn't find Alex. Jill's teeth sank deeper into her flesh. Why was she so useless? Why was her life falling apart like this? Before, she barely had any trouble at all. Her life seemed perfect. She understood the villagers and what she had to do. Now… she couldn't even read a person yet alone keep her marriage intact.

"Gina, why won't you tell me where Alex is?" Jill asked, trying to keep her voice even. When Gina didn't reply, Jill felt her remaining control disappear. "Why won't you tell me anything? What is wrong? Have I changed or is it just you?"

Jill clenched her hands, shaking slightly as she gazed at Gina.

"I'm not telling you where Alex is because you'll only hurt him more than you already have," Gina replied firmly as she tried not to tremble.

"I came here to clear things up Gina!" Jill shouted, resisting the urge to grab onto Gina and shake the young woman to her senses.

"I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

"You can't control him or me!"

"As his personal assistant, I refuse to allow you to see Alex!"

Deciding that this was completely ridiculous and being fed up, Jill pushed Gina aside and proceeded to walk into the clinic. Alex must be in his office. Jill was jerked back when she felt Gina grab onto her wrist.

"Please Jill, don't do this to Alex."

"I'm not going to do anything to him Gina! Stop being an idiot!"

"If you're not planning on hurting him, then why are you still wearing your wedding dress?"

Jill growled in aggravation, not in the mood to discuss her marriage issues with Gina at the moment. Frustrated, Jill yanked her arm away from the nurse's grasp, causing Gina to topple over and fall ungracefully onto the floor. Jill hesitated upon seeing Gina sprawled on the floor with tears streaking down her face. Growling slightly, Jill placed her hands on her hips but didn't help the other girl up.

"I tell you millions of times to stand up for yourself and the only time you do that is when you're facing me!" Jill yelled, her face twisted with anger. She didn't understand. She was Gina's friend! Gina was supposed to be on her side. Why was everything going so wrong?

"It's not because it's you," Gina said quietly as she pushed herself off the floor. The nurse brushed the tears off her face as she stayed sitting on the floor. "If it were anyone else who wanted to hurt Alex, I would stand up to them as well because… I love him."

Hearing someone clear their throat from across the room, both young women turned their heads to find a rather flustered looking Alex standing by his office door. His appearance was neater than yesterday, with his hair combed perfectly in place and his clothes clean and unwrinkled. His face, on the other hand, was grim as he eyed the tears on Gina's face and Jill's angry expression.

Gina blushed deeply as she stumbled onto her feet.

"Doctor, I—"

"It's okay. We'll discuss this later," Alex said gently. Turning away from Gina, Alex focused on Jill. His dark eyes hardened slightly but his voice remained calm. "Well, come into my office."

Jill hesitated before quietly following Alex into the room at the back of the clinic. In front of her was a rather large wood desk with a phone and papers scattered across the surface. Bookshelves and cabinets lined nearly all of the walls in the room. A bed occupied a space in the far corner of the room.

"I think it would be wise to not harass anymore of my employees," Alex calmly reminded Jill.

"I wasn't harassing her," Jill growled, once again close to snapping. "She started it anyway."

Jill knew that she sounded childish but she had nothing else to defend her remaining strands of dignity with. Her eyes were stinging as she gazed at the apathetic doctor standing in front of her.

"Well," sighed Alex as he took a seat behind his desk. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

At that moment, Jill didn't feel that she wanted to talk to Alex at all. The person sitting in front of her wasn't the Alex she had known. Jill trembled slightly as she gazed at the doctor's unconcerned expression. She had lost one of her first friends she had in the village.

Jill was lost and slightly afraid as she stood in front of the doctor. What could she tell him? Rubbing her bruised wrist, Jill stood awkward by the door.

"You sounded really urgent before," Alex said. "Why are you so quiet now?"

Upon hearing this, Jill promptly burst into tears. Furiously rubbing the tears away, Jill mentally yelled at herself for being so weak. Why was she crying? She couldn't cry. Jill bit her lip, trying to hold back the sobs as she found that she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Why was she so weak? With each tear Jill brushed away, another replaced it. Stop. Stop! Jill stomped angrily on the ground.

The remaining respect Alex had for her probably disappeared right about then. Not only was she flooding the area, she was also throwing a temper tantrum in his office.

"Jill—"

"Stuff it Alex!" Jill cried. "I don't want to hear anymore of your sarcastic remarks! I just wanted to talk to you not look for a fight!"

Jill rubbed furiously at her eyes, frustrated beyond words. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as Jill continued to sob. She hated this. She hated not being able to be in control. She hated not knowing what was going on around her. She hated everything right now.

"Please Alex… please…"

A moment later, Jill felt a pair of arms hesitatingly wrap around her shoulders. Jill knew that she didn't deserve this, but at that moment, she needed someone… anyone to comfort her. The rancher almost laughed at the last thought but let her pride go. Closing her eyes, Jill gripped tightly onto Alex's white doctor's coat and continued to cry on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Alex," Jill sobbed. "I didn't know what I was doing. I know that nothing I say will be good enough but… I'm sorry."

The raven-haired man said nothing but his presence was enough for Jill. She was glad that Alex still cared if only a bit. The realization slowly sank in. Alex still cared about her. Jill smiled with relief as she held tighter onto Alex. Closing her eyes, Jill tried calming herself down, breathing in and out slowly. She felt Alex's chest rise and fall with her as she leaned against him.

When she finally ran out of tears, Jill pulled back in embarrassment, wiping the remaining droplets off her face.

'Thank you."

Alex nodded politely as he watched Jill.

"Take a seat," he finally said. Alex placed his arms on his desk, thinking silently as he eyed Jill. "Jamie found out didn't he?"

Jill nodded as she took a seat in the wooden chair Alex had pointed to. Placing her hands in her lap, Jill contented herself with staring at her hands. It was odd how she was unable to look so many people in the eye these past few days.

"Ah…"

Staring at her hands, Jill wondered what was going through Alex's mind. The doctor repositioned himself in his seat, causing his doctor's coat to rustle.

"Why did you marry him?"

"I needed his help," Jill finally answered. She knew she was being vague but she couldn't say any more unless she wanted Alex to believe that she was crazy. She felt slightly guilty not being able to tell Alex the entire truth after all he had done for her.

The doctor was silent for another moment. Sighing softly, Alex nodded.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" he asked, gentler this time.

Jill played with her hands as she organized her thoughts.

"Firstly, I wanted to apologize for not recognizing your feelings for me," Jill began. "I just wanted you to know that what I did wasn't intentional…"

"Jill, that isn't why I'm upset with you," Alex said. Leaning back in his chair Alex chuckled to himself. "It is sometimes hard to express and recognize what someone else is thinking. Take Gina for example; I had no idea that she loved me…"

Alex trailed off and coughed lightly.

"I was displeased that you married Jamie for a reason other than love," Alex explained.

"I don't understand why," Jill said as she looked blankly at Alex. "Love isn't the only reason in the world for marriage. Power, wealth, family… these are valid reasons as well."

Alex nodded. "Indeed. Power, wealth… you don't need those do you? And Jamie…"

Furrowing his brow, Alex gazed at Jill as if trying to decipher a puzzle. Jill met his gaze, trying to understand what the doctor was thinking as well. Though generally skilled at deciphering people, Jill was at complete loss for the moment. What did Alex feel for her now?

"What about Jamie? Did he think the same thing?" Alex asked.

Jill bit her lip and shook her head.

"I thought he did though," Jill protested in an attempt to defend herself. "Then… he told me that he had feelings for me. I don't know what to do. If I go back… will he accept me?"

"I can't answer that question," Alex said slowly. "Why would you want to go back? You look unhappy with the way things had turned out."

"I still need Jamie's help," Jill replied. "And…"

Jill furrowed her brow thinking to Jamie's words and betrayed expression. She wondered if Jamie had been lied to in the past. Whatever had happened, Jill wanted to show Jamie that not all girls were liars. She wanted to help Jamie regain what he had in the past and take away the bitterness he felt.

"I want to undo the damage I did by lying to Jamie," Jill finished. The young rancher's eyes widened. She knew what she had to do now. Jumping onto her feet, Jill thanked Alex for all his help.

"You're very welcome," Alex replied with a hint of warmth in his voice. "Jill… please feel free to visit me when you have problems and… I hope one day you'll be able to trust me enough to tell me what you didn't tell me today."

Jill bit her lip and nodded.

"Once again, thank you," Jill said softly as she exited the office door.

When the rancher had left the building, Alex rose from his chair and walked over to the front of the clinic. Gazing out the window, Alex watched Jill disappear from view.

"Don't break his heart a second time," he whispered. "Like you did mine once before."

Jill smiled brightly as she approached Jamie's house. She silently examined the larger purple house. The house seemed different from yesterday. Today, it seemed warmer and more welcoming. Jill drew in a deep breath as she raised a fist and knocked on the door.


	5. Darkness Churning

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to update. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions!

* * *

Chapter 4

Jill raised her gloved fist to knock on the large wooden door for what seemed to be the tenth time without receiving a reply from Jamie. Just when the farmer was becoming concerned, an extremely annoyed voice called through the door.

"Stop your stupid knocking and go away!"

Ignoring Jamie's order, Jill calmly rapped on the door again. Jamie shouldn't be turning people away like this without finding out why they were knocking on his door –especially during a time where the village was in danger.

"I'm not in the mood for visitors!"

Jill furrowed her brow, placing her palm against the smooth door, and contemplated her next move. They would need to face each other eventually and considering the time limit they had hanging persistently over their heads, sooner was the best choice. Taking a deep breath, Jill decided to speak up.

"Jamie, open the door," Jill said loudly, slowly regaining the collected and calm character she had possessed before all the chaos had started. She knew now that no matter what, she wasn't willing to let a simple argument get in the way of saving her village. Silently, Jill thanked Alex for getting her back on her feet.

The farmer wisely took a step back from the door as she waited for Jamie to open the door. Jill wasn't sure if the rancher would confront her or continue to hide in his house but the answer to her question was immediately answered.

The door was suddenly flung open, the front of it slamming against the wall of Jamie's house. Jill winced as the loud bang resonated throughout the entire town.

"Here is your stuff," Jamie snapped, thrusting Jill's belongings into her arms.

Jill fumbled with the pile of items loaded in her arms while trying to see Jamie's face from around her belongings. The purple-haired rancher spun around, storming back towards his house.

"If you even come within an inch of my property, I will send my dog after you."

Letting her belongings fall on to the ground, Jill grabbed onto the back on Jamie's poncho. Jill expected the purple-haired rancher to pull away but to her relief, Jamie stopped.

Jill held on tightly to the intricately woven fabric of Jamie's ponchos while searching for the words that would make Jamie stop and listen to her.

"Jamie… I want to apologize."

"I don't want to hear it," Jamie replied.

Jill figured that Jamie's reply wasn't completely true or else he wouldn't have stopped to listen to her.

"The village needs help," Jill said, trying to get her message across to Jamie. "If we don't find anymore notes, the Shadow Goddess would surely—"

"I'm sure that as intelligent and depraved as you are, you'll be able defeat the Shadow Goddess single-handedly," Jamie said mockingly.

"I have morals Jamie."

"Do you?" Jamie shouted, spinning around to face Jill for the first time. "Because from what I can see, you're just a deceitful, insensitive, self-interested, apathetic human that would do anything for their own benefit!"

Though she had heard similar taunts from Jamie before, none of them struck her as words he actually intended to say. Jill mentally recoiled upon glimpsing the mixture of fire and ice in Jamie's light blue eyes.

"Jamie, stop—"

"I will only repeat this one more time… I do not want to see you ever again."

With that said, Jamie turned around, pulling his poncho out of Jill's grip and swept back in to his house. The heavy wooden door slammed shut with a bang, emphasizing the finality in Jamie's decision.

Standing awkwardly in her wedding dress, Jill stared at her scattered belongings on Jamie's neatly trimmed lawn.

Perhaps it was never meant to be.

Feeling something nudge her leg, Jill looked down to find her two pets inspecting her worriedly. Lightly bending down to rest a soothing hand on their heads, Jill assured them that she was fine. Despite her assurance, Roy and Hiro both continued to peer at her pathetically.

"I can figure this out without Jamie," the farmer told her pets. It was true that having Jamie by her side would be an asset, but seeing that some things couldn't be helped, Jill decided she would have to live with what she had. She would make up for the harm she had caused after the village was secure.

Gazing across Jamie's front lawn, Jill straightened up and began to collect her belongings. No matter what, she wasn't going to let the Shadow Goddess claim her village. Yet, even as she thought that, Jill could still feel the heaviness that continuously lingered over the village like a ghost.

* * *

"Happy Birthday Alex," Jill greeted with a polite smile as she handed her friend the best turnip she could find in her fields.

"My goodness!" Alex exclaimed as he accepted the oddly large turnip. "You look horrible."

"… You weren't supposed to say that," Jill said, slightly annoyed with her friend.

"Yes, but it's true," Alex replied evenly as he pocketed the turnip. "Thanks for the wonderful present though. You grow the best turnips in the entire village, do you know that?"

"I frankly can't tell the difference between my turnips and the ones grown on the Spring Farm," the farmer stated honestly. "In the end, when you cook them, the taste of the turnips isn't as important as how you cook them. Still… I know you like turnips so I just brought you one."

Jill settled down on the icy ground beside Alex inside Moonlight Cave. Jill tilted her head to one side as she observed Alex, unsure of what to make of the fact that even though it was his birthday, the doctor could still be found searching for medicinal herbs, on his hands and knees, buried under the cold cave floor. Of course, Jill didn't stop working on her birthday but watching Alex digging up ponata roots on a stormy and dark day really brought her spirit down.

The howling wind from outside echoed incessantly and loudly inside the small dark cave. Droplets of rain pounded against the cave wall, some of the droplets making its way into the cave. Jill rubbing her arms as cold tendrils of air brushed passed her.

"It really doesn't seem like the last day of spring does it?" Jill asked quietly.

"The weather doesn't seem that outlandish," Alex replied as he gazed at the cave entrance. The low grumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. "Storms are common during the spring and summer season."

Jill nodded as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Hm… it really doesn't seem that it was that long ago that I told you not to over work yourself," Alex commented as he prodded a spot on the cave floor. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at a wet pile or dirt. "Jill, all the villagers are worried about you. Everyday, from morning until dusk, you've been working on your farm or mining in the caves. You even missed the Flower Festival."

"It's important," Jill responded evenly. Besides, there was no reason for her to attend the Flower Festival when she had already received the note for attending it the first year. Her time was better spent earning money and to find more notes –not that she had been successful but she was sure she was another step closer to finding the note.

"Then there is the fact that you and Jamie aren't talking to each other while you're supposed to be married," Alex commented.

"That's his fault."

Jill could hear Alex mumble a doubtful comment but decided not to argue. The farmer rubbed her arms again as a particularly cold breeze raked her clothes mercilessly while wet droplets were sprayed onto her arm and cheek.

"You shouldn't worry about me," Jill insisted firmly as she shifted further away from the cave entrance. She couldn't tell Alex why she was behaving the way she was, but she couldn't allow him to be troubled with her problems any more than he already has. "You already have your hands full with both Joe and Meryl in the Sanitarium. In addition, it's your birthday."

"I still have a job to do, even if it's my birthday… as a friend, and as a doctor," Alex countered readily.

"You're a good friend but I can take care of myself," Jill said coolly, meaning to end the conversation about her recent behavior.

Jill was sure that Alex disagreed with her comment but the doctor understood Jill's tone and held his tongue.

As the doctor continued searching for the roots, Jill stared desolately at the roof of the cave, examining droplets of water trickling off the stalactites as she thought over her efforts to find notes over the last few days. She truly hoped that Jamie had been more successful than she had. As each day passed, the heaviness in the air seemed to grow heavier and heavier. Jill was convinced that the villages would eventually discover something was amiss. Ray was still having difficulty locating any fish in the village, the animals on the farms were overwrought and Joe had been staying in the Sanitarium for half a week now because of food poisoning –or as Alex had called it, "foodborne illness". Jill supposed that it was inevitable since he had been thoughtlessly eating everything Katie had cooked for him though nothing had happened after months of eating Katie's cakes. Meryl on the other hand was always cautious with ladders around the orchard.

All of these incidents… Jill was sure that they were not simple accidents. Everywhere she went this past week, Jill could feel a certain tenseness in the air… one that made breathing difficult and her head spin. The farmer shivered. The air was unusually tense today, as if a single movement could break whatever was holding all the darkness back and flood the entire village.

Jill shifted her foot, her shoe scraping lightly against the rough and scratchy gravel on the cave floor.

"Ale—"

With a loud groan, the floor suddenly collapsed under the two. Jill's heart seemed to leap out of her chest as she lurched downwards. Cold air roared against her ears and slapped her face as Jill flailed her arms. Her pigtails and clothes flapped violently against her skin as the air caught onto them like fishing hooks. Darkness swallowed the farmer up.

With a loud thump, Jill's body finally met something solid. Rocks of all shapes and sizes rained down on her back for a few seconds before fading away. Breathing heavily Jill closed her eyes and waited for her rapidly beating heart to slow down.

"Jill," coughed Alex. "Could you please get off of me?"

The farmer blinked, realizing she was lying on top of something soft. Jill shifted her body, causing dust and gravel to tumble off her back. For a moment, the cave was filled with dust, making it extremely difficult to breath.

Opening a blurry eye, Jill tried to study her surroundings but found that it was too dark to see anything. The farmer closed her stinging eyes, and shook her spinning head. To her right, she could hear Alex shifting.

"I suggest you don't move that much," Jill croaked, as she pressed her palm against her eyes to try to get rid of the stinging sensation. "There will be lots of other cracks on the cave floor."

The sound of cloth and gravel shifting stopped.

"The people who come down here to mine usually bring a flashlight with them… but seeing that I wasn't planning on mining today, I don't have one with me," Jill stated, trying to stay calm and think of a solution.

Jill was glad that if anyone had fallen into the cave with her, it was someone as cool-headed as Alex. Straining her eyes, Jill glanced up at the roof of the cave to see nothing but darkness. The farmer realized that the rocks had blocked out the opening they made when they fell through the roof of this particular floor, thus shielding all light from entering this level. Lifting a hand in front of her face, Jill concentrated on seeing the silhouette of her fingers just to confirm that she hadn't gone blind.

Convincing herself with forced calm that she hadn't become blind, Jill shook her head once again. Slowly her eyes adjusted to darkness, allowing the farmer to make out a little more detail in her surroundings.

"Ah… so how do you propose we get out?"

"I think it's best if we wait for someone to come along," Jill answered. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

The two sat quietly where they were, with nothing interrupting the silence but the irritating sound of dripping water. Jill buried her head in her knees as she waited for someone to come to this level of the cave and find them. The darkness coupled with the tenseness in the air was extremely unnerving. The farmer went through the schedule of each villager that mined in her mind—Ann had been staying in the workshop lately, Louis was injured, Bob was spending time at the Smithy with his grandfather, Kurt had double the work at the workshop while Joe was in the Sanitarium while Terry and Saibara never ventured into the deeper levels of the cave.

Who else was there? Jill shut her eyes tightly. Jamie. Jamie was the only one left that would be able to find them. Jill's heart sank at the thought. She knew that he wouldn't abandon them in the cave, but she didn't know what Jamie would do to her when he sees her again.

"Great," Jill muttered under her breath.

"Pardon?"

"Sorry, it's nothing," Jill murmured, hugging her legs. The young woman shivered as darkness rested on her shoulders like an icy blanket.

To her right she could hear Alex shifting once again. Suddenly a warm cloth touched upon her shoulder.

"I know you get cold easily," he explained as he left his coat resting on her back. "I also know that you like to take care of things by yourself, but if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Jill nodded, though mentally disagreed. Her problems were her own. Grasping onto Alex's warm doctor's coat, Jill felt her heart warm slightly.

"I'm married to Jamie."

Closing her eyes, Jill quietly listened to Alex's gentle breathing.

"Yes, I understand that," Alex responded meekly. "It doesn't mean that I can't be nice to you."

Jill lightly tugged the sleeve of Alex's coat, feeling extremely guilty from hiding things from him. Tilting her head to the side so that she could make out the outline of Alex's head –or at least what she though was his head (for all she could see, it could have very well been a large boulder)-- Jill sighed softly. She knew that Alex was a trustworthy friend and wouldn't tell anyone her secret and that he would believe what she told him. Did she want to burden him with her knowledge though?

"Do you regret marrying Jamie?" Alex suddenly asked.

Jill turned away from Alex and stared at the ground. Did she regret marrying Jamie? The farmer smiled sadly.

"No," Jill answered confidently as she raised her head. "I always measure the consequences before making a decision. Though there were some things I didn't expect in this case, I never regret any of the decisions I make. It is pointless to waste your time regretting a decision."

"Ah…"

Yet, even as Jill answered Alex's question, she couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if she chose to marry Alex instead.

"Were you hoping that I would regret the decision?" she questioned.

Jill could see Alex flinch even in the darkness.

"Hoping would be the wrong word to use," Alex finally replied. "I was expecting you to regret the decision."

Jill nodded and leaned forward, propping her head on her hand. Drumming the fingers of her other hand on the earth, Jill tilted her head so that she was facing Alex again. Since they were both being so blunt, she supposed Alex wouldn't mind her next question.

"Do you still like me?"

However instead of flinching like Jill expected Alex to, the doctor raised his head to stare curiously at the roof of the cave.

"What would you do if I said I did?"

Jill gazed curiously at Alex, trying to see past the darkness and decipher his expression.

"Nothing."

"Then my answer is irrelevant."

Jill laced her hands together in an attempt to warm her fingers. The farmer silently apologized to the doctor. If Alex still cared for her, she could never reciprocate his feelings in the situation she was in. Even if she wanted to, getting involved with Alex would only worsen her situation. Alex had realized that as well.

The farmer raked her fingers through her hair and lowered her eyes. Everything Alex seemed to do was for her benefit. He deserved so much more. After all this, she would find a way to make it up to him. She would definitely keep her promises to both Jamie and Alex.

"Alex, can you feel a difference in the air?" Jill asked suddenly.

"No, what's wrong?" Alex asked, concerned laced in his voice.

Grasping onto her forehead, Jill furiously shook her head. Screams and something roaring echoed in her head. Suddenly, the air rammed down on her entire body, prohibiting the farmer from moving. Falling forward on all fours, Jill held back a shriek, as the air around her seemed to erupt in flames. A burning building flashed across Jill's mind. A girl was crying.

She was buried in the darkness. Black tendrils swirled angrily around her inside the cave. Something immense had happened.

Another hand suddenly grasped tightly onto hers.

"Jill!"

Gasping, Jill broke away from the spell she was under. Her eyes snapping open, Jill found herself being held tightly in Alex's arms. Breathing deeply, Jill grasped tightly on Alex's hand. Her hand shook violently as Jill tried to collect herself.

"I'm fine," the farmer managed to whisper.

Jill closed her eyes for a moment, reviewing what she had seen. With a jolt, Jill pushed away from Alex.

"We need to leave the cave," Jill ordered firmly, scrambling to her feet.

"What about the cracks on the floor?" Alex questioned, rising to his feet as well.

"We have no choice," Jill replied as she blindly searched for the stairway leading to the top level of the cave. "Hold onto my hand."

Alex's warm hand slipped into hers.

"What's going on?" Alex questioned.

"Something has happened in the village."

Alex's hand tightened briefly around Jill's before loosening slightly. Jill understood how much the doctor cared for the safety of the villagers. Though he was silent, Jill could sense the urgency radiating off Alex. He hadn't failed her before. She wouldn't disappoint him now. The farmer fought to keep her head straight as she treaded, at a snail's pace, through the boulders in the cave.

Her heart beat frantically. Any moment, she and Alex could go crashing down the cave floor. It wasn't the danger that worried her as much as the time wasted if they crashed through the floor of their current level and start their search for the stairway all over again. Every step, every breath, was a precious moment wasted… perhaps a life wasted. Jill gripped tightly onto Alex's hand. She couldn't allow any of the villagers to die.

Every cautious and hesitant step that she took, and every crunch of the rocks beneath her feet would send her heart ramming into her ribcage in fear. She could feel her arm shaking like a lone leaf on a windy autumn day. Suddenly, the foot in front of her crashed through the floor. Jill gasped as she felt herself lurch forward.

However instead of plunging through the floor, and falling down to who-knows-where, Jill found herself hanging between the two floors. Her heart beating rapidly, Jill twisted her head upwards to find Alex leaning over her.

"I've got you," Alex said tensely, his arm around her waist.

Jill swallowed and nodded tensely as she felt Alex's warm breath on her neck. Holding tightly onto his arm, Jill searched for the edge of the hole with her other hand to push herself up from the hole.

Their combined efforts brought Jill back onto the stable portion of the cave floor. The farmer let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding once her feet touched the solid cave ground. Out of breath, the two sank to the floor.

"This isn't working," Alex gasped.

"Oh really?" Jill asked nonchalantly. "And here I was thinking that walking blindly around the cave with numerous cracks on the floor was a flawless plan."

"You'll be able to reason more clearly if you try to calm down."

Jill took in a deep breath and shook her head. She was too focused on the village to unwind and think clearly. The farmer rubbed her palms against her face as she leaned forward and buried her head in her legs. She needed to think clearly though. Pushing her emotions aside, Jill pressed her forehead against her legs. The question was: How could they devise a strategy in the middle of a murky cave with no materials or light?

Alex, on the other hand, had closed his eyes and leaned back on his hands.

Jill raked a hand through her hair. They were wasting precious time just sitting there.

"Can you smell the scent of the earth after a rainstorm?" Alex asked suddenly.

Jill furrowed her brow. If Alex could smell something from outside the cave… then they could find the general direction of the stairs. Trying not to be too excited, the farmer attempted to trace the aroma. Jill closed her eyes –not that it made and difference—and took in a deep breath. There was the smell of earth, clay, rocks and the tangy scent of metal. Furrowing her brow, Jill turned her head. There! Mixed in between the metallic and stuffy smell of the cave, the farmer detected the faint odor of the outside world. A damp and somewhat cold sliver of air tickled the farmer's nose, giving Jill a spark of hope.

Her eyes fluttering open, Jill turned to Alex and nodded.

"It's coming from the left," Jill murmured as she clumsily grasped onto a rough boulder to pull herself up.

Their hands slipping together once again, the two cautiously made their way to the left, hoping that they would find the stairway. Jill's hands swept around blindly in front of her, searching for boulders to prevent hurting themselves by running into these jagged solid objects. As they crossed the cave, the faint scent of wet soil grew distinctively stronger. Almost tripping as Jill's foot hit something solid, the farmer knelt down to feel what she had run into. Feeling the bumpy steps of the stairway, a grin escaped Jill's lips.

"It's this way," the farmer whispered.

Pulling Alex beside her, the two rushed up the U-shaped stairways. One floor, two floors, three floors… Jill continued to dash up the stairs. After another turn, the two were greeted with a dim glow and a gust of icy wind. The distant sound of thunder rumbled in the background while a faint drizzle of rain pattered lightly on the ground.

Gasping for breath, Jill let go of Alex's hand and stumbled to the cave entrance. What greeted her knocked the breath out of Jill's chest completely.

Black smoke churned angrily through the air in front of the cave. The loud cracking sound of fire and the panicked screams of the villagers soon reached Jill's ears. Gazing up, Jill spotted flames clawing up at the dark and cloudy sky angrily.

"That Sanitarium!" Alex gasped.

The two sprinted towards the cloud of smoke. Sparks rained down on Jill and Alex as the wind continued to mercilessly ravage the village. The farmer gasped as a blast of icy wind shoved her backwards but continued after Alex. Suddenly, scorching heat that Jill thought would have been impossible to feel on a cold day such as this one rained down on her. In front of her was a giant fireball of a building. Bright orange flames as tall as a windmill raced up to the sky from the roof of the Sanitarium, contrasting greatly with the dark and gloomy sky. Orange tints danced inside the windows of the building. Villagers from all over the village were scrambling clumsily around, sloppily passing buckets filled with water in an attempt to put out the fire.

Wrapped in blankets near the fence of the Mayor's house were Joe, Dia and Meryl, the current residents in the Sanitarium. To Jill's relief, the three appeared shaken but unharmed by the fire. Meryl was sobbing on Joe's lap while the apprentice awkwardly tried to cheer the little girl up. Beside them, Dia was wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, shivering slightly as the light rain continued to drizzle on everyone.

"Where are the fire engines?" Alex questioned as he stumbled over towards the Mayor, his clothes in disarray and his pants covered in mud.

"They're coming from the closest city," the mayor replied as he took a moment away from instructing the villagers. "Right now, we're trying to prevent the flames from spreading to the clinic."

Patting Alex on the shoulder, the mayor twisted around and returned to organize the villagers in their efforts to prevent the fire from spreading.

Jill felt her heart clench agonizingly as she watched Alex gaze at the blazing building in front of him –the building that he had worked endlessly to instate in the village. The farmer felt like reaching out and comforting the doctor but shook her head at the notion. Instead, Jill stayed back and watched the Sanitarium silently with Alex. When she had first arrived at the village, all Alex had was the clinic and a limited supply of medicine and money. He had worked from complete scratch just to help the village develop into a better place to live in. All his hard work was now gone. A strong gust of wind whipped across Jill's face, pulling the farmer out of her reverie.

Slipping Alex's jacket onto her body and buttoning it up, the farmer tried to contain her shivering. Tiny droplets of water trickled down her cheek and dribbled onto the ground. Rubbing her arms, the farmer pulled her gaze away from the building.

"Oh no, the clinic is catching on fire!" someone shouted.

Looking up, she found the billowing winds have brought the hungry flames within reach of the clinic. Tiny flames were now slowly spreading across the right roof of the clinic.

There was a mad scramble as villagers rushed towards the clinic. Jill bit her lip, wondering if she could help in any manner.

"Gina! Has anyone seen Gina?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jill saw a shivering Dia quickly approaching her. The usually serene face of the young women was filled with concern and worry as she twisted a handkerchief in her hand.

"I thought that she was in the clinic, but I don't see her anywhere," Dia cried, grasping tightly onto Jill's arm. Her hands were cold but Dia didn't seem to be concerned at all about the cold as she thought about her best friend.

Jill bit her lip as her gaze traveled to the burning Sanitarium. Gina couldn't be in there could she? The nurse was far than capable of escaping the fire unlike Joe, Meryl and Dia. If the three of the patients managed to flee from the burning building and didn't spot Gina inside, then it was very unlikely that the nurse could be in the Sanitarium.

The image of a crying girl inside the burning building flashed across Jill's mind. Gazing at the flaming building, Jill made up her mind. Spotting a bucket of water lying on the ground, Jill poured it over herself, completely soaking the doctor's jacket that Alex had given her earlier and a thick blanket from Dia. The icy water bit down at her skin and Jill pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

Ensuring that the soaking blanket securely covered her, Jill sprinted into the building. Heat instantly raked at her face as soon as Jill had passed the door. Gazing up, Jill realized that the supporting beams were beginning to weaken as they creaked and groaned under their own weight.

"Gina!"

* * *

Jamie grit his teeth as he accept a bucket of water from Eve. The waitress' face was flushed as she spun around to fill another bucket with water. At this rate, the clinic was going to burn to the ground.

Pushing aside the wet locks of hair that had gotten into his face, Jamie turned to face the clinic. Kurt and Bob were soaking the east side of the clinic wall as best as they could... which was quite pathetically to be honest. The roof of the clinic had slowly begun to catch on fire.

"Jamie, have you seen Jill?"

The rancher raised an eyebrow as the village's doctor approached him but continued his way towards the clinic.

"Why do you think I would have seen her?" he questioned coolly as he passed the doctor and hurled the water at the wall of the clinic. The rancher turned to glare reproachfully at the doctor. He couldn't care less about where Jill was.

"She was just here—" Alex gestured, a hint of worry in his voice.

"She went into the Sanitarium to search for Gina."

Both men spun around to face a trembling Dia. The young women shook her head and buried her face in her hands.

"I thought… I couldn't see Gina and I thought that she might be in the building so… I—" Dia turned away from the two men, hiding her face behind a curtain of dark hair as she pulled a blanket closer around her trembling body.

Alex furrowed his brow as he gazed at the burning Sanitarium. The flames had hungrily devoured half of the roof, while its greedy claws extended out from the windows on the top floor of the building, lashing at its surroundings. Volumes of black smoke billowed perpetually from all the openings in the building.

"I'll go in to find her," he decided, turning towards the Sanitarium.

"Are you crazy?" Jamie yelled, grabbing onto Alex's arm. The roaring wind and fire swallowed Jamie's words but the doctor understood the gist of what the rancher was saying.

"Don't you care if Jill gets killed?" Alex shouted as he spun around to face Jamie. The doctor's usually calm eyes were blazing angrily.

"If you go in there, you'll be killed as well!" Jamie growled, his eyes narrowing. "We need our village doctor to be alive and out of danger right now."

A streak of lightning split up the sky, hauntingly illuminating the clearing for a quick moment, followed by a shark clap of thunder.

The doctor breathed deeply, pushing dark locks of hair away from his eyes as he glared angrily at Jamie.

"I can't stand here and wait for the firemen to come."

"That is the reasonable thing to do," Jamie replied, his eyes meeting Alex's angry orbs.

Smoke tumbled past them in waves as the two men glared at each other in a battle of wills. Rain continued to pour down, leaving icy trails as they trickled down their skin.

"By the time they arrive, Jill would be dead," the doctor whispered, turning away from Jamie. His voice was raspy as he spoke his next words. "I can't let that happen."

Jamie narrowed his eyes as he examined Alex.

"I see mine isn't the only heart she claimed."

Alex's eyes widened momentarily.

Jamie gazed towards the building, and then grabbed a bucket from Ellen and a thick blanket from Dia.

"If I die, I'm going to kick you really hard," Jamie muttered as he pushed past Alex. Before the doctor could protest, the rancher had sprinted into the building.

Jamie pulled the wet blanket closer to his body as he passed the door. The air inside the building was liquid lava, causing Jamie to recoil. Narrowing his eyes, Jamie entered the building. Thick black smoke swirled over the floor, reducing all visibility and causing the rancher's eyes to water up.

Covering his mouth with his sleeve, Jamie dropped to his knees and started to crawl across the tiled floor. Sparks rained down on him and the rancher hoped that they continued to stay small. To his right, various parts of the stairway was burning, the middle of the stairs already sagging, as the wood was eaten up by the flames. The curtains beside the stairway were burning brightly, emitting terrifying amounts heat.

Furrowing his brow, Jamie called out to Jill.

Above him, the rancher could hear the weary groaning of the wood pieces supporting the ceiling.

"Jill! If you're in here, call out!"

Sparks continued to rain down on Jamie while the rancher scanned the bottom floor as best as he could. The heat pounded down on the rancher like a waterfall. Licking his dry lips, Jamie tried once again.

"Jill!"

Jamie cautiously crawled towards the back of the Sanitarium. The rancher quickened his pace as he heard the crashing of wood behind him.

"Jill!"

Passing a bed, Jamie found the farmer sprawled on the ground, as if she had fallen. Quickly crawling up to Jill, the rancher shook her shoulders. Behind him, Jamie could hear more pieces of wood crashing onto the tiled floor.

"Wake up."

The intensity of the heat in the building was steadily increasing. Jamie shook Jill's shoulder once again. The rancher furrowed his brow, unused to seeing the usually lively farmer so still.

"Jill!"

Jill winced and wearily opened on eye.

"Ja—Jamie…"

"Get up now."

The young women winced once again as she tried to push herself off the floor. The groaning of wood was incredibly loud now. Deciding that there was no time to waste, Jamie grabbed onto Jill's waist and shoulders and easily lifted her off the floor.

"Ja—"

"This isn't the best time," the rancher scowled as he tried not to inhale too much of the smoke. Coughing violently, Jamie swiftly made his way towards the door. His eyes burned as he tried to see past the thick smoke. Jamie quickened his pace, not caring if he were to trip over something. A blast of cold air met Jamie as he passed the door and moved a safe distance away from the Sanitarium. Alex was waiting impatiently nearby and rushed to meet him.

Placing Jill on the ground, Jamie took in a deep breath of fresh air. Looking around, Jamie furrowed his brow. The roof of the clinic was now burning brightly while the Sanitarium was a giant fireball. In the distance, Jamie could hear the loud wailing of sirens. Alex had knelt beside Jill to tend to her so Jamie moved aside. Feeling a tug on his poncho, the rancher gazed irritably down at Jill.

"Jamie…"

"Jill, please stay still," Alex instructed but was ignored by Jill.

Jill tugged insistently at his poncho again so Jamie leaned towards her.

"A black cloaked… Harvest Sprite," Jill whispered into Jamie's ear. "Cause of everything… tripped me… ran towards Hazelnut Forest."

Furrowing his brow, Jamie rose to his feet. The rancher swept back his bangs and gazed curiously up at the stormy night sky. The small drizzling rain was now like a giant facet as the icy droplets pelted down on the village. Another flash of lightning split the sky apart.

"I'll be right back," Jamie finally said.

Without saying another word, Jamie spun around and started sprinting away.


	6. Second Chance

Chapter 5

Thin streams of sunlight trickled through the deep sapphire curtains in the patient's ward of the clinic, announcing the beginning of summer. Outside the clinic, a small sparrow took off from a pink Mora tree, sending sparkling droplets of water flying through the air --the terror of the night before completely forgotten.

Inside the clinic, a brown-haired farmer groaned as she opened her eyes. The female lay quietly on the bed for a moment before registering where she was.

"Well, this is great," Jill declared as she stared up at the white ceiling of the clinic. Furrowing her brow, Jill noticed a band-aid neatly taped on her forehead. Right, she was nearly murdered by a Harvest Sprite the night before. Closing her eyes, the farmer tried to collect herself. "I hate waking up like this."

"It's your own fault."

The farmer's eyes fluttered open and a wry smile touched upon her lips.

"I would like to point out that you ran into the burning building too."

Turning her head to the side, Jill found Jamie sitting a few meters from her bed in a wooden chair, expertly peeling an apple with a knife. Despite being pelted by rain the night before, Jamie appeared well off with his clothes smooth, clean and completely dry. The only thing that suggested that he had been in the rain yesterday was that his hair appeared softer than usual.

"At least I knew someone was in there," Jamie responded coldly from the shadowed portion of the room. The shadows cast on his face by the slowly rising sun made the rancher's features appear harsher than usual.

Jill pressed her dry lips together, wincing slightly as she could feel the skin cracking.

"There could have been. If someone was in there and lost their life that night because of my hesitation, I would never forgive myself. I know you feel the same way."

The rancher appeared slightly bored as he examined Jill, his icy blue eyes unemotional and unreadable. Even if they were no longer friends, Jamie was still Jamie deep down inside of him –that, Jill was sure of.

"I wouldn't forgive myself if it were one of my animals, but if it were a selfish human, I could care less," the rancher finally retorted as he resumed peeling his apple. "Don't assume you understand me Jill."

"You're lying."

"Believe what you want," Jamie responded with disgust.

Jamie sounded so cold as he said that he would let one of the villagers die, though they had proved again and again to Jill that they were wonderful people that cared about the world. She hoped that she could show Jamie that side of the villagers… that side of humans. She had made a promise to make everything up to Jamie, so Jill decided only to push harder against Jamie's barrier.

Her stare drifted to the ceiling once again. The rising sun was slowly forcing the gray shadows back, adding a touch of orange to the plain ceiling. Jill closed her eyes, as visions of towering flames stirred inside her.

"Are all the villagers alright?" Jill questioned.

"Do I look like a doctor to you?"

Jill grinned grimly, calmly meeting Jamie's irritated glare.

"I know you're highly aware of your surroundings. You must have picked up on a few things."

"Just stop pretending that you know me Jill," Jamie growled, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. A hint of red touched upon Jamie's cheeks as he glared at the farmer. "You don't know me at all."

Boldly meeting Jamie's icy blue eyes, Jill cautiously thought over her situation. She had been able to bring Jamie out of his shell by connecting to him and showing him that she was trying to understand him. Now, she wasn't sure if she should continue or try a new tactic.

The farmer pressed her lips together while her eyes still remained on the clearly irritated Jamie. The truth? Now that was an interesting idea. Should she try to make it up to Jamie through that angle? Jill hesitated for a moment. The truth isn't always the best thing, despite what some believe. Sometimes, allowing someone to know the truth would only bring greater difficulties. Yet, it was dishonesty that had ruined their friendship. Exhaling softly, Jill forced a smile on her face.

"I'm trying to make it up to you for what I did before," Jill said with as much serenity as she could muster. "I'm really trying Jamie. What would you rather have me do?"

The purple haired rancher narrowed his eyes.

"All I want is for you to stay away from me and let me live in peace."

Jill lowered her gaze, disappointed, though she had expected his reply to be something along those lines. The farmer's top priority was to find the rest of the notes. She could allow Jamie to get his way for now.

"In that case, what are you doing here?" Jill said, her eyes shifting to the dull blue curtain separating the patient's ward from the rest of the clinic.

"The Harvest Goddess is positive that her sister never had any Harvest Sprites on her side. No Harvest Sprite would ever help the Shadow Goddess."

Slicing the now peeled apple into neat pieces, Jamie continued coolly with a displeased expression on his face.

"Whatever you encountered last night was not a Harvest Sprite. This brings up some issues since we now know the Shadow Goddess has someone or something helping her."

The two sat in silence as Jill absorbed the new information. In her mind, Jill knew that if they were to lose this battle, the village would be gone. Images flashed across Jill's mind— an abandoned orchard with its formerly beautiful apple trees black and wilted; an empty café, the chairs and tables covered in dust; the fields littered with weeds; and the barns void of the peaceful and calm breathing of animals.

Meryl, Joe and many other villagers were being hurt because of her inability to find the notes. They had been fortunate in that no one had been killed but…

"Do you believe that a lightning strike created the fire?" Jill asked Jamie, her eyes shimmering slightly.

"That is what the rest of the villagers are inclined to believe," Jamie replied, contempt evident in his voice. "How foolish."

"They have no reason to believe that one of the villagers would commit arson," Jill responded, in defense of the villagers. Jill leaned back, her expression contemplating. "So you believe that the creature I saw was real? Why? I don't believe that you managed to catch up to it."

"I didn't see anything strike the sanitarium."

So it was confirmed that she wasn't just hallucinating. Once again, Jill was forced to change her plans. The farmer calmly forced herself up into a sitting position.

"Jamie… let's work together again."

Before the rancher could reply, Alex had strolled into the room, concentrating on a clipboard in his hand. Though his eyes remained glued to the clipboard, the doctor continued to walk smoothly to Jill's bed.

The farmer bit her cheek as Alex stopped beside her.

Gazing down at Jill over the clipboard, the doctor shook his head, his mouth opening to lecture Jill once again.

"I know what you're going to say."

"Then you should listen and really take better care of yourself," the doctor countered with a hint of anger in his voice. Slamming the clipboard down on the bedside table, Alex leaned over so that his head was directly over Jill's. Alex's hand gripped tightly onto the blanket by Jill's bed, creasing the smoothly folded blanket. "You keep telling me that I don't need to remind you to take care of yourself, yet you don't appear to understand the message! Don't ever repeat what you did yesterday ever again."

"I was trying to save your nurse, doctor," Jill replied, trying her best not to flinch. Jill shifted her gaze away from Alex, uncertain of what to do with the fuming doctor. She understood Alex's point of view –understood that he was worried for her safety—but disagreed with it. She could take care of herself.

Perhaps realizing that he was yelling at his patient, Alex breathed in deeply, trying to release the tension in his body. When he spoke again, his voice was somewhat calmer though his rigid posture suggested otherwise.

"She wasn't in the sanitarium."

"What if she was?"

Sighing and backing away from Jill, Alex ran a hand through his messy black locks. His eyes were weary and his clothes crumpled again –and if Jill wasn't mistaken, he was wearing the same outfit he had on yesterday, minus the doctor's coat he had given her, since there were mud stains on his pants. His hair was heavily tussled as if he had been raking his hand through it the entire day. The heavy scent of coffee clung to Alex as he paced around in front of her.

"That's not the point."

Alex's pacing continued, his eyebrows furrowed, giving the impression that the doctor had grown a few years older overnight. Again and again, Jill was reminded of how hard Alex worked to keep the people in the village happy and healthy. He had lost the sanitarium that he had worked so hard to build and here he was, worrying about her. She wanted desperately to help him keep the villagers safe though. She loved this village as much as he did. She couldn't stand by and let someone get hurt.

"How is the condition of the clinic?" Jill asked as she tried to steer the conversation away from her.

The heavy footsteps ceased.

"I guess I could say that we were fortunate in that only the roof caught fire and the rest of the clinic was saved by the firefighters. I can't say the same for the sanitarium though…" Alex sighed once again, his shoulder sagging slightly. "Dia, Meryl and Gina are all sharing a room in the clinic while Joe took my room. The clinic can't possibly healthily house this many ill people though."

Rubbing his forehead with the base of his palm, Alex searched around for his clipboard. Jill felt another wave of sympathy roll over her as she watched Alex rake his hand through his hair once again. The farmer pulled her legs close to her chest, her eyes calculating.

"Could I leave the clinic today?" Jill asked.

"Yes, yes," the doctor replied distractedly as he craned his head behind him. "Have you seen my clipboard?"

"It's on the bedside table," Jamie grunted.

Strolling over to the table, Alex picked up the item and sighed softly as he leafed through the pages.

"Thank you, Jamie."

The doctor scratched his head as he gazed down at Jill, clipboard in hand.

"What was I saying before this?" he questioned as he looked up from his clipboard. Raising his head to stare at the ceiling, Alex massaged his temples while muttering something under his breath.

Hesitatingly, Jill gazed at Jamie.

"Alex, why don't you take my house and use it to replace the sanitarium for the meantime?" Jill offered with a small smile. "It's close to the clinic, and though it may not be as big as the sanitarium, it could house three people quite comfortably if you clear out all of my furniture –perhaps four if you tried."

Alex's eyes lit up at Jill's proposal.

"That would help me out a lot," the doctor agreed. "But... where will you live?"

"With Jamie –that is if he would permit it," Jill replied as she turned to gaze at the rancher sitting by her bed. She had a hunch that Jamie would accept her offer to work together again with a little push from her. Said rancher narrowed his eyes dangerously as he sensed where this was heading.

The doctor furrowed his brow, as he gazed down at Jill. He knew that the relationship between the two was in poor shape so what was Jill trying to do? Alex turned to Jamie with a raised eyebrow.

"There is no way I'm letting that women on my property," was his answer.

"Excuse me, but I believe we're married."

Jamie gritted his teeth as his gaze shifted between Jill and Alex. With the doctor there, he couldn't exactly reveal the details of their relationship. The purple haired rancher glared icily at Jill.

"There is no need to argue," Alex said, a frown gracing his already drained face. "I could remove some of the furniture in the clinic so we can add more beds and you can keep your house."

"The clinic isn't the best place for your patients to live in," Jill argued.

"I agree, it's not ideal but…"

Alex furrowed his brow as he examined Jill. The brown-haired farmer looked crest-fallen as she looked over at Jamie. Did Jill truly want to move in with Jamie again? The doctor sluggishly searched for a reason but found none that were probable.

"In that case, perhaps you could move into the clinic," Alex suggested, causing Jamie to nearly topple off his chair.

Though Alex missed what was going on behind him, Jill didn't fail to notice Jamie's disgruntled expression. Though she had no idea why Jamie was disturbed by her moving in with Alex, Jill decided to take advantage of the situation.

"I'll move into the clinic with you then," Jill declared.

Silence filled the room as all eyes turned to Jill. Jamie was still glaring at Jill from his chair while Alex quietly examined the female.

"In that case, I'll ask Gina to help set up the extra bed in Martha's room… that is, when she has the time," Alex said. "As you can see, it's a little busy at the moment."

"No, she'll move in with me," Jamie stated calmly as he pushed his chair back and got onto his feet.

A grin tugged at Jill's lips but the farmer kept her face straight. She was glad that Jamie had thought things through.

He glared coldly at Jill as he smoothed his sleeves.

"I'll save all of us the trouble. You'll have to ask Bob to remove the furniture from your house though because I'm not going to do it."

Without saying another word, Jamie turned around and exited the clinic.

Hearing the door click shut, Alex turned to Jill with a confused expression on his face. After a moment of searching for the correct words, the doctor decided to ask the first thing that was bothering him.

"Why are you moving back in with Jamie?"

Jill exhaled softly and propped her head on her knees.

"I've thought it through, and moving back with Jamie is the best option considering the circumstances."

Alex still appeared disgruntled, perhaps knowing that he had been used by Jill to change Jamie's mind.

"So you still won't tell me what is going on?" Alex questioned. His dark eyes flickered with sadness, regret and many unspoken words. His question was met with silence. The doctor turned away from Jill and stared bitterly up at the ceiling. "Tell me, when you said it was the best option, did you mean for yourself or for something else?"

Jill smiled bitterly at how perceptive Alex was.

"You're correct, it isn't what I want for myself."

The doctor sighed, disappointment radiating off his body in waves, and started walking away from the patient's ward.

Jill ran her hand over her blanket, smoothing out the many mountains and valleys on the pale piece of cloth. Taking a deep breath, searched her mind for the right words.

"When I was younger," Jill suddenly whispered. "I had always wanted to be a doctor."

Alex paused.

"I admired doctors so much because to become a doctor, a person had to be dedicated, intelligent, and hardworking… but above all, I admired them because I believed they were compassionate people that helped others."

Jill could feel Alex's gaze resting on her. The farmer consciously turned her head away from Alex so that she was staring at the wall on her left.

"I had the marks, and most of the skills to become a doctor… I was hardworking, intelligent, and cared greatly for the people around me. However… I couldn't overcome the fact that I was afraid of blood, of the responsibility if someone were to die under my care –afraid of the other side of being a doctor.

"So I chose the road of an accounting instead. In a way, I thought it matched my personality… calculating, straightforward, able to get along well with others and hardworking. Yet as I continued to walk down that path, I found that it wasn't what I wanted. I wasn't helping people in the way I wanted to. So I moved to Flowerbud Village when I saw an advertisement asking for assistance. I hoped, that here, I would be able to help the village grow into a wonderful and healthy place… and for a while, that was what I was able to do. I was… very happy that I could help the ones I cared about."

Turning to Alex, Jill smiled brightly.

"I want to protect this village with all my heart. I can't help heal the villagers like you could, but I will do all I could to ensure the villagers' happiness and well-being."

A brief silence followed Jill's speech.

"So you married Jamie to increase farm production?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," Jill answered with a straight a face as possible as she tried not to burst out laughing at Alex's assumption. "It's a little more than that."

Alex sighed as he stuck his hands into his pockets. Starting to understand Jill's motives a little more, Alex let go of his anger and headed back towards Jill. Gazing down at his patient, Alex frowned.

"The idea is noble, but…"

"I know."

Concern shimmered in the doctor's eyes.

"If you insist."

"I do," Jill affirmed.

Alex sighed as he turned around and pulled apart the deep sapphire curtains, allowing the sunlight to roll into the clinic. Jill winced slightly as the room seemed to be filled with liquid gold. The streams of sunlight tumbled beautifully through the air, wanting to fill every corner of the room with light and warmth.

When she looked up at Alex again, the doctor appeared to be lost in thought. His dark colored eyes gazed thoughtfully at the beautiful splash of color painted across the sky as the sun slowly rose. Though there were still bags under his eyes, his eyes were brighter and his stance more relaxed than earlier.

"You know, you should open up like this a little more often."

"I know. I'm not like that though."

Alex raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

* * *

Carrying a tall stack of boxes in her arms, Jill shifted her weight and called for Jamie to open the door for the fifth time. Receiving no reply, the farmer sighed and placed her boxes on the ground. Crouching down beside her boxes, Jill propped her chin on her palms. 

"I guess Jamie isn't home yet," Jill ventured as her dog gazed curiously at her. It blinked worriedly at the farmer causing Jill to chuckle. "It's not like Jamie is going to bite my head off."

Roy eyed her skeptically as Jill patted his head.

"Jamie is a good person. I can tell. He treats his animals so well… if only he could be like that with humans," Jill said. The farmer rolled her eyes. "Well, look who's talking. I think I'm kind of the same."

Roy barked in agreement causing Jill to glare at the dog.

Sounds of laughter and loud conversations drifted to Jill. The farmer sighed as her gaze traveled to the brightly lit Moonlight Café.

The last stream of sunlight disappeared under the horizon, announcing the end of yet another day. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ears, Jill gazed up at the cloudless sky, littered with millions of bright stars. The massiveness of the universe brushed against Jill's mind as she found herself lost in the millions of stars overhead. Even admiring the stars, Jill could feel the dark presence looming over the village. She wondered when the next disaster would occur. The fire had been pushed to the back of all the villagers' mind, enveloped by fields filled with golden, dancing butterflies and warm, feather-like breezes. Yet, Jill knew that something bigger would happen eventually. Hearing light footsteps heading towards her, Jill lowered her head to find Jamie's dog eyeing her warily.

The farmer blinked curiously at the animal as it approached her.

"I'm sorry, but I forgot your name," Jill said, reaching a hand out to Jamie's dog.

The dog barked angrily at Jill, causing the farmer to flinch. Desperately trying to calm Jamie's pet down, Jill scanned the area, hoping the barking wouldn't disrupt anyone.

"He doesn't like strangers."

Jill stiffened. Raising her head, Jill found Jamie strolling up to his house, carrying a heavy looking bag over his shoulders.

Jill scrambled to her feet, moving aside as Jamie inserted his key into the lock. The farmer guessed that Jamie had been mining, judging from the strained look of the bag's strap. However, Jamie's clean clothes and sharp expression suggested that he been doing nothing more than an evening walk. Though impressed, Jill refused to show it.

"It would save you quite some time if you didn't lock your door," Jill stated as she scooped up her pile of boxes in her arms. Her blue eyes rested on Jamie's dog as it faithfully followed its master.

The purple haired rancher didn't appear impressed by Jill's advice.

"Yes, I agree, I am the only sane person in this village," Jamie muttered to his dog, which was happily wagging his tail.

"No one will break into your house," Jill replied calmly.

The rancher stuffed his keys back in his pocket and snorted.

"If that were the case, I wonder why the villagers lock their doors during the night," Jamie replied in an irritated manner.

Pushing his door open, Jamie casually placed his bag beside the door on the beige colored wood floor and flicked on a light. The small chandelier hanging above Jamie's kitchen table flickered to life, flooding the entire lower floor with bright light, which matched the clean and professional atmosphere in Jamie's house.

Jamie's house was the same as when Jill first entered it, the tabletops spotlessly clean, deep red walls void of any pictures and all the black, thick curtains in the house drawn tightly shut. It was practical, which she should be grateful for, but unwelcoming. Jill supposed that it didn't matter since Jamie was away from his house two thirds of the day.

After examining his house, Jamie strolled into the living room and seated himself casually on the three-seated leather couch, facing his large black television.

"We have some things to discuss," the purple haired rancher finally declared. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper and spread it out on the round glass tabletop in front of him.

Joining Jamie in the living room, Jill chose to seat on the couch adjacent to Jamie's, her back to the front window of the building.

"I've outlined all the notes we have so far," Jamie stated, tapping lightly on the piece of paper. "I've also included possible notes that we have not found yet."

Leaning forward, Jill read over the fifty notes that she had collected and then noted the ideas Jamie had written underneath in red ink. Her eyes lingered on the first one.

"Win the Beach Contest?" Jill murmured quietly to herself. The farmer furrowed her brow and leaned back in her chair. "If I recall correctly, you won it last year, but didn't receive a note."

Jamie snorted.

"I also won the Chicken and Horse Festival the year before you arrived at the village and didn't receive a note while you did," Jamie responded with disgust, pointing at the neatly scrawled words "Horse Race Note" and "Cock-a-Doodle Doo Note" which had been received by Jill the year before.

Leaning forward again, Jill searched for a reason behind Jamie not receiving any notes. What Jamie had told her was quite interesting. Why is it that some people are able to receive notes while others not? If they took in all the experiences and activities the villagers participated in, they would currently be rolling in notes. Furrowing her brow, Jill tried to find a difference between her and the villagers but could find none besides the fact that she could see the Harvest Sprites. Did that make a difference?

"Jamie, do you know why the villagers can't see the Harvest Sprites?"

"Does it look like I care about the villagers?" he replied silkily.

"You should."

Jill fell silent as she eyed Jamie.

"Do you think that you aren't earning any notes because you do not care about the villagers?" Jill questioned. The farmer frowned as she mulled over the idea. "The Harvest Goddess turned to stone because she believed no one cared. Thus, if you didn't care for the village yourself, then you can't really help her cause."

Jamie knitted his brows together, silently going over Jill's idea.

"Assuming that your idea is correct, you'll have to win the Beach Festival, which is in two days," Jamie snorted. The purple haired rancher's icy blue eyes scrutinized Jill's body. Shaking his head, Jamie closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "And if I recall correctly, you came in dead last the year before. In fact, I think you almost drowned."

"Well, you remembered it wrong," Jill responded in her calm tone.

"I guess we'll see," Jamie said with a smirk.

Jill bit her lip as she stared at her lap. A fluttering feeling filled her stomach as she thought about the Beach Festival. If Jamie couldn't receive the note, then she would have to win the swimming contest herself. The problem was, she was a terrible swimmer and had only participated in the festival for the fun of it.

Exhaling softly, Jill shook her head. She couldn't lose. If she practiced all day tomorrow, she'll have a decent chance of winning at the festival the next day. Losing wasn't an option for her.

"We'll focus on getting that note next then," Jill declared.

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Jamie stood up.

"Seeing that we're done, I'm going upstairs now."

Jill guiltily watched Jamie step away, knowing that he didn't want to interact with her anymore than was necessary. His dislike for her was evident in his eyes and tone of voice even without him telling her directly. It seemed so long ago when Jamie talked to her in a friendly manner or at least acted like he cared. She would even prefer the easily annoyed and rather rude Jamie that she had known when she first arrived than the Jamie she was faced with now.

Taking in a deep breath, Jill gazed at the purple haired rancher.

"Jamie, why did you allow me to stay in your house?"

Jamie paused on his way up the stairs, his hand resting on the railing. Turning around, Jamie smirked.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't care that you don't have a house to live in. However, I've dealt with enough village gossip with you living in your own home. Letting you live at the clinic would only cause me more grief."

With that said, Jamie turned back around and disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

Grasping tightly onto the pier, Jill gasped heavily. Droplets of water trickled down her face as she hung tiredly on to the pier. Her arms and legs ached, and were starting to feel a lot like pieces of lead. Each stroke, and each kick, was a struggle to keep herself afloat. 

Still breathing heavily, Jill gazed out at the sparkling surface of the ocean. The afternoon sun hung high up in the cloudless sky, radiating warmth and stunningly bright light. The farmer allowed herself to bask in the warm glow of the sun for a moment. A small ocean breeze whispered past her, while the waves continued to gently lap at her body. Overhead a seagull called out.

"Hey!"

Jill craned her head back to find her face to face with Gwen. The blonde was dressed in her usual white top, with a green vest, a matching skirt and black pants but had decided not to wear her black arm warmers today. Instead, a pretty silver bracelet, most likely a gift from Bob, dangled prettily on her wrist. The young women squatted down, her chin propped on a hand, as she thoughtfully observed Jill. Her crimson eyes were sparkling with interest.

"Are you training for the festival tomorrow?"

Jill nodded with a smile on her face.

"Are you joining?" the farmer asked.

"No, I'm more into Horse racing," Gwen laughed, "which, by the way, you've become pretty good at. I won't lose to you during the Fall Horse Race though."

Jill only smiled. She doubted that she would have time to train her horse.

The cook grinned, her eyes lighting up with fire at the thought of another challenge during the fall. Jill had gone far, surprising her slightly by winning one of the lower level races during the spring. She supposed that the farmer surprised many villagers. By fall, Jill would have a horse that would be able to compete with one of her best animals. She was sure that it would be a great race to see –Jill, Bob, Jamie and herself. Gwen frowned as she remembered why she had approached Jill.

"How are things between you and Jamie?" questioned Gwen, her expression serious.

Jill raised an eyebrow.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Gwen scolded angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes glared reproachfully at the farmer. "The entire village is worried."

Jill shook her head, her wet pigtails swinging slightly.

"Everything is fine," Jill insisted, emphasizing the last word to reassure the blonde.

"No, I think everyone could clearly see that everything is _not_ fine!"

Jill bit her cheek as she carefully thought over her next words.

"Would you like me to beat some sense into him for you?" Gwen questioned.

Jill mentally cringed, realizing now, that the villagers had most likely been giving Jamie an extremely hard time since they became married. What Jamie had told her last night replayed in Jill's mind, making a lot more sense as she spoke with Gwen. Things would be much more different if the villagers actually knew that she was the one that had created this issue.

"No, it's quite alright," the farmer replied. She forced a smile on her face. "Really. You know Jamie –he's like that. In actuality, everything is fine between us."

Gwen frowned, looking torn between believing Jill or marching right up to Jamie and giving him a few well-chosen words. In the end, she gave in to Jill.

"Fine, but if he gives you a hard time, just tell me and I'll straighten things out for him."

Jill grinned politely.

"I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I know but I still won't allow Jamie to bully you."

Wisely, Jill decided to change the topic, asking Gwen how business was at the Perch Inn and discussing activities she had participated in lately. She knew that Gwen was always interested in sharing. The blonde's voice was filled with unrestrained emotion as she chattered about the happenings over the past week. As Jill listened politely to Gwen, she wondered why she couldn't be like the blonde and open up her heart to everyone around her. Automatically, her logical side argued that it wasn't a wise thing to do but Jill couldn't help but wonder how it would be if she were more like Gwen –open, bold, led by emotions, fun loving and perhaps a little reckless.

Realizing how much time had passed, Gwen excused herself, claiming that she had gone way past her break period.

"I'll see you later Jill."

"Goodbye."

Turning around to gaze at the sparkling ocean, Jill sighed and let go of the pier. She kicked her legs, sluggishly moving forwards as her arms stretched outwards to perform the front-crawl.

The cool ocean water rushed past her face, sliding along her body. After twenty strokes, the exhausted farmer started back for the pier.

"You're bending your legs too much."

Gasping and nearly losing her rhythm, Jill clumsily grabbed onto the pier. The farmer held tightly onto the pier while trying to catch her breath. Looking up, Jill met a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Your actions are too flabby. You swim like a dying fish."

Jill smiled up at Jamie, unsure if he was trying to help her or just insult her. She assumed that it was the former.

"Jamie, I didn't knowyou would be coming."

The rancher rolled his eyes and sat down on the edge of the pier, his legs dangling off the edge. He eyed Jill critically before shaking his head.

"The Harvest Goddess needs this note. Do you expect me to do nothing?"

"So you don't think I could win this on my own?"

"I thought it was obvious."

"I see," Jill nodded with a smile. An argument between them where all the villagers could see wouldn't do well for either of them. "Is there anything else you want to mention?"

"No."

Jill nodded with a bright smile on her face. Jamie simply frowned and gazed past her at the cloudless sky. As a warm breeze fluttered past, lifting Jamie's hair and swaying the hem of his poncho, Jill thought she saw Jamie's stern expression relax slightly.

"You look well today," she said lightly, testing his barrier.

Jamie raised an eyebrow but made no reply.

"What crops did you choose to plant for this season?" Jill queried.

"Are you going to practice or not?" Jamie scowled.

The farmer bit back a sigh, disappointed in that Jamie was still being difficult and that she still wasn't able to clearly read his thoughts. Pushing against the pier, Jill splashed off towards her goal.

It was until the sky was painted like liquid fire that Jill had decided to end the day. Crawling up onto the pier, Jill collapsed onto the wooden planks. Her muscles seemed to be on fire. For the moment, she felt perfectly content just lying tiredly on the pier, with her cheek pressed against the rough wood.

A shadow fell over her, blocking the warms streams of light that were falling on her back.

"Aren't you going to get up?"

Feeling Jamie's eyes on her, Jill shakily pushed herself up into a more dignified sitting position. Her muscles burned in protest but Jill ignored the aching.

"You can go home if you want," Jill said politely with a smile on her face.

"No, I wouldn't want to wake up in the morning and find a herd of villagers protesting at my door because you collapsed on the road on your way home," Jamie snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"That won't happen," Jill replied as she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her blue eyes snapped open as she realized that she wouldn't be able to buy seeds tomorrow since it was a festival. She had only taken care of her animals today so that she could practice all day and decided to leave planting crops until the next day. "I need to get to Spring Farm before it closes."

Jill tried to get up but her limbs were jelly and weren't able to help her achieve anything.

"Pathetic."

Jill glared reproachfully at Jamie but didn't say anything. She couldn't throw away two useful planting days, especially during the summer.

"Climb on my back. I'll carry you."

Jill hesitated and wearily eyed Jamie.

"I'm not going to repeat myself."

"I heard you the first time."

Jamie furrowed his brow as he lifted her off the ground but made no complaint as he traveled along the pier and turned left to Spring Farm.

Jill squirmed, feeling slightly guilty that her wet bathing suit was soaking Jamie's formerly dry poncho. The farmer quietly examined the intricate pattern of yarn that formed the poncho and commented on it.

"It was a gift from the Harvest Goddess," Jamie replied shortly.

"Why did she give you a poncho?" Jill questioned.

The rancher shook his head contemptuously but Jill was satisfied that Jamie had at least told her something about himself today.


	7. Swimming Competition

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Feel free to makeany suggestions on how to improvethe story:)

* * *

Chapter 6

Lifting her hand to shade her eyes from the glaring sun, Jill scanned her surroundings. Not a cloud was in the sky today. The calming blue sky stretched perpetually in all directions. In front of her, the ocean lapped tamely at the beach. A sense of calmness momentary swept through Jill.

Turning around, Jill calmly surveyed the beach. It appeared as if the entire village had come to watch the Beach Festival. A rainbow of beach towels were laid over the beach with large picnic baskets placed on top for later use.

Light footsteps approached her from behind, stopping beside her. Her expression hardened as she remembered her task.

"Did you find out who is entering the competition?" Jill questioned, working on keeping her expression calm. No matter how hard she tried to push the thought of losing away, the notion always resurfaced. If she were to lose… what would they do? Perhaps it was because of that, that Jill found herself unable to look at Jamie. A light breeze tugged playfully at her white blouse, which covered her simple black swimsuit.

She must not lose. She could not lose.

Her hand trembled slightly as she repeated these words to herself. She had to win this competition. She couldn't afford to lose. Jill breathed in deeply, moving her hand up to clutch onto the front of her blouse.

"Since I'm not entering this year, the only person you need to worry about is Ray."

Jamie frowned as he stared out at the ocean. He too, knew how much was a stake in this competition. Losing couldn't be an option in this situation. His icy blue eyes flickered to Jill for a moment before returning to look at the perpetual body of water.

"Use your surroundings to your advantage."

"I know."

Jamie nodded curtly before turning around and walking away.

An empty feeling seemed to fill Jill's heart as she turned and watched Jamie's retreating back. For a moment, the farmer wanted to call him back but the words died in her lips. There was nothing Jamie could do for her. Asking him to stay with her would waste valuable time that could be spent researching other notes.

The farmer exhaled and calmly started to stretch. Her swimming was still not yet ideal. Her key to victory was in the currents. The only problem was the unpredictability of the ocean. She would have to make the best of it, though relying on luck to win the competition wasn't something she felt would be a good idea. Being prepared definitely helped. Jill straightened, her eyes landing on Ray, standing a few metres away from her.

"Good afternoon Ray," Jill greeted with a smile on her face as she walked over to the brown-haired fisherman.

The fisherman jumped.

"H- hey, Jill," Ray greeted, a hint of pink touching upon his cheeks.

"How have you been lately?" inquired the farmer, her hands behind her back. Ray still appeared slightly flustered but appeared to have recovered.

"Fishing has still been poor, but I'm managing."

"That's good to know," Jill replied. The farmer tilted her head to her side as she examined Ray. The fisherman had bags under his eyes and was thinner than Jill last remembered.

"I haven't seen you around lately," Ray commented after a brief silence. "Perhaps we could go fishing some time, that is, if Jamie would permit it."

"I've been busy, but I'm sure we can get together," Jill nodded, taking her eyes away from Ray. "Actually, why don't you come over for dinner after the festival?"

Ray blushed once again but nodded.

The farmer took a step back and stared up at the sky. Ray's difficulties were an advantage to her but wasn't something to cheer about. Jill hoped that things would return to normal after collecting all the notes.

A warm breeze fluttered past the two, making Jill wonder if the village truly had changed that much. She still remembered clearly chatting happily with the shy fisherman during last year's festival. If it weren't for the ominous aura hanging over the village, Jill would have believed that nothing had changed at all.

"Who do you think would most likely win this competition?" Jill asked light-heartedly, pushing her thoughts aside.

Ray ran his hand through his hair as he pondered the question.

"Though Alex is a good swimmer, his stamina isn't as good as the other three competitors. Basil has good stamina, but judging from what I had seen last year, his strengths do not lay in swimming," Ray nodded as he listed off the swimmers, a look of concentration on his face. "Your stamina is quite good, but…"

Jill smiled expectantly.

"I, um, understand that swimming isn't one of your strengths either."

"So you think you'll win?" Jill asked, glad that Ray had underestimated her swimming abilities. It was another advantage for her.

"Well… most likely," he replied bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I see," Jill replied thoughtfully. Her eyes were calculating as she thought over what Ray had just told her. Ray's statements were based on what he had seen last year, thus they couldn't be entirely reliable. She knew that Alex's stamina had not improved so the doctor wasn't a swimmer she needed to worry about. Basil on the other hand… The farmer shook her head. Jamie told her that the only person she needed to worry about was Ray. Jamie did not make unfounded assumptions, so she had to trust him.

"Jill, I couldn't help but notice that you've changed," Ray suddenly announced.

The farmer raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side.

"How so?"

Ray furrowed his brow.

"For one thing, your eyes are more calculating," Ray pointed out as he counted his points on his fingers. "You didn't use to hide your thoughts behind that smile –you were more honest with your feelings. In fact, if I had said that I haven't seen you around lately, you would be critical because we had passed each other yesterday… Is there something wrong between you and Jamie?"

Jill forced a smile on her face.

"No, nothing is wrong Ray," Jill replied brightly, though she was slightly irritated that her interaction with Ray had backfired on her. Still, she had gained some information.

* * *

"Go!"

Jill dashed forward, creating an explosion of water droplets and reaching towards the blue buoy floating a few metres in front of her. The entire field was marked in her mind. The green buoy drifted further ahead while the red buoy was on her left and the yellow buoy lay diagonally ahead to her left.

Her cold fingers clumsily pushed against the blue buoy. The farmer hesitated for a moment, deciding upon the direction she should go. Suddenly, a current flowing forwards appeared in front of Jill and the farmer chose the green buoy as her next target. Jill kicked her feet, dashing forwards into the current. Like a strong arm, the farmer found herself being helplessly towed away by the ocean. Jill breathed in deeply as she let go of all her control as she let the current guide her. Luck. It all came down to that now. Her speed almost doubled as the current smoothly carried her forwards. Half way across the field, the current stopped, leaving Jill to struggle to keep up with the other faster and more experienced swimmers.

Jill concentrated, making sure that her legs were straight and her strokes quick and precise. The water slid past her like a cool snake. In less than a thirty seconds, Jill had her hand on the green buoy. The farmer quickly sped off towards the yellow buoy to her left, creating a big splash of water behind her.

Concentrating on her movements and surroundings, Jill moved forward at a steady pace while carefully avoiding currents that flowed against her path. Time seemed to slow with each stroke. She had only crossed one-third of the distance. There was still two-thirds to go. Jill kicked harder, pushing against the water.

Her muscles, burning like fire, were starting to protest but Jill pushed the protests aside. She couldn't waste any time. Each second was crucial.

The farmer's eyes widened as she spotted the friendly dolphin that always could be found around the pier splashing along beside her. The creature chirped cheerful and Jill smoothly slid onto it's back like she had done so many times before. With a gasp, Jill found herself being dragged forwards. Cold air and water droplets flashed behind her, leaving her completely breathless during the short time the dolphin carried her.

A smile escaped Jill's lips as she slipped off the dolphin and touched the third buoy. The other swimmers had only just left their second buoy. She was going to win.

Jill sped off to her last target, kicking hard against the water. The liquid rushed past her face, spraying millions of droplets in the air. Seven metres. Five metres. Three metres. The farmer's heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest. Jill reached forward with her hand.

Suddenly, the rancher felt a tug on her leg. A whirlpool had started to form around her. Panic rose in Jill's chest as the water tugged at her. Droplets sprayed her as she was pulled around in a circle. The farmer kicked hard against the water, trying to escape. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull herself out of her situation. She would have to waste precious time waiting for the whirlpool to fade away. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. She couldn't lose. The farmer breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down.

A jolt of pain suddenly traveled up her leg. Jill winced, finding that she wasn't able to move her right leg. Instantly, Jill began to sink. The farmer gasped as she splashed about, trying to keep afloat. Water continued to roar around her. Jill tilted her head upwards as she struggled to keep her head above the water.

Water splashed into her nose and her mouth, leaving her throat burning from the salty taste. A large wave crashed over her head, sending the farmer plunging underneath the water. Her eyes stung as she spun around underneath the ocean water, trying to find the direction of the surface. Raising her head, Jill frantically flapped her arms, trying to reach the sparkling light above her. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Her strokes were weak and clumsy. Jill reached her hand forward, expecting to find light but was only enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Pain racked her chest as the farmer coughed, spewing out water. Cool air rushed into her lungs as Jill breathed in deeply. More coughs erupted in her chest, choking her. Once the coughs ceased, the farmer blinked away the tears in her eyes to find a pair of dark eyes gazing back at her.

"Jill, are you alright?" Alex questioned, his face inches away from hers. His warm hands were placed gently on her shoulders.

The farmer blinked sluggishly at the doctor, trying to piece together what was happening. Her body was felt like it had been dumped into a pool of ice and then trampled over by a herd of cows (most likely belonging to Jamie). Jill focused her attention on Alex, wondering what had happened.

"I'm… I'm fine," Jill croaked. Her surroundings slowly stopped spinning and the farmer realized the other two swimmers and various villagers surrounded her.

Swimming… she had been swimming?

"That's a relief!"

The farmer closed her eyes as she processed the information in her head. She didn't lose the contest did she? No she couldn't have. Not when she was only a few feet away from the last buoy.

"Alex, the contest—"

"Jill, you shouldn't be worrying about the contest when you nearly drowned."

"Did I lose?" Jill pressed, completely ignoring Alex's words.

The doctor's grip on Jill's shoulders tightened.

"Well… you didn't win."

At that moment, the world seemed to crash down on Jill. She had lost the contest? No… Alex must be mistaken. The farmer closed her eyes. She had never managed to touch the last buoy though. She had lost. The statement fell heavily on her. Her fingers dug into the wet sand.

"What happened?" Alex questioned.

"My… leg cramped up," Jill whispered, her heart clenching painfully as she accepted the fact that she had failed. She had lost because of a simple thing like that. She had been so close to the last buoy. She could have reached it. If only she had reached a little farther.

"Thank goodness you're alright."

Jill bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes. No, she wasn't fine. What was she going to do now? What was going to happen to the village? Her eyes stung. She shouldn't have lost.

"Jill, are you alright?" the doctor questioned, his grip on her shoulders tightening slightly. Uncharacteristic worry was laced into his voice and Jill was reminded of the time they were both trapped in the mines. She didn't deserve his worry though. "Please, calm down and tell me what's wrong."

The farmer shook her head as tears trickled down her face. What could she tell him? That she had completely doomed the village? Tiny sobs escaped her lips as the farmer trembled underneath Alex. Worried whispers surrounded Jill.

"I'll take care of the rest."

Before she knew it, Alex's gentle touched was removed and Jill was roughly lifted off the ground. The familiar scent of berries mixed with wool tickled her nose as Jill clung desperately onto Jamie's poncho while sobs raked her body.

"No Ray, I do not want your help," the man growled as he started heading off the beach. The hushed whispers of the villagers slowly faded away and the familiar sound of woodland animals filled the air.

The rancher was silent as he carried Jill back home. Jill could feel displeasure radiating off Jamie. Jill bit down hard on her lips as the tears continued to tumble down her cheeks, anticipating the worse once they returned to Jamie's home. He didn't need to shout at her, for she understood on her own the full meaning of her failure. Entering his house, Jamie silently picked up Jill's bag of clothes and continued upstairs to his bedroom.

"Stop crying like it's the end of the world," Jamie commanded harshly as he dropped the farmer unceremoniously onto his bed.

For a moment, Jill was confused at the lack of insults coming from Jamie, but slowly recovered.

"It is though," Jill replied, furiously wiping away her tears. Without a hundred notes, they could never defeat the Shadow Goddess! Jill could feel the strength of the Shadow Goddess growing each day. It wouldn't take long before another disaster occurred. When that happened, it would be her fault.

"We could hold the Shadow Goddess off for another year," Jamie replied nonchalantly. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he gazed down at Jill.

"How many villagers would die by then? Tell me!" Jill yelled pushing herself up into a sitting position. She gripped tightly onto Jamie's poncho, twisting the once smooth and unwrinkled fabric.

"None."

Jamie turned around coldly.

"How could you guarantee that no one would die?" Jill questioned angrily, yelling at Jamie's back. She knew that Jamie could not guarantee that no one would die. In fact, if a villager died, she doubted that he would feel anything.

"Because I say so," he growled as he threw a towel and some dry clothes into her face. Jill swept them aside, standing up and glaring angrily at Jamie.

"How could you say that? You don't even care about the villagers!"

"Oh, you appeared to have thought differently yesterday," Jamie replied scathingly, his icy eyes cold. "You sure do change your mind quickly."

Jill's usually calm façade shattered in a millisecond.

"Get out now!" the farmer shouted as she pushed against Jamie's chest, shoving him out of his room. "I don't want to see you! I don't want to hear you!"

Slamming the door shut, Jill shoved a trunk in front of the entrance. Angry shouts could be heard from the other side of the door but the farmer filtered it out. Breathing deeply, Jill slumped against the wooden trunk, hugging her legs to her chest. It was over.

Jamie's shouts eventually receded. The sunlight slowly faded away, leaving the room in cold and darkness. Jill sat silently against the trunk, hugging her knees while trying not to shiver from the cold. Her ice-cold swimming suit still clung to her skin as her water droplets dripped down from her tresses.

What was she going to do now?

* * *

Jamie scowled as he swung the front door open, instantly becoming bathed in golden light from the setting sun.

"Yes?" Jamie questioned coldly, while squinting from the sun.

The village's doctor smiled pleasantly as he greeted Jamie. Despite it being a holiday, his hair was ruffled and his lab coat smudged. Alex was always diligent but Jamie could tell the reason for his disheveled appearance was because of Jill.

"Good evening Jamie. Ah, I was wondering if Jill was alright."

Jamie crossed his arms over his chest. It appeared as if his assumption was correct. The doctor was still as foolish as ever whenever something concerning Jill occurred.

"She's fine."

"Could I see her then?" Alex inquired politely, his hands behind his back.

"No."

Snorting, Jamie shut the door but was stopped hastily by Alex.

"Jamie, I just want to see if she is alright."

"I told you –she is perfectly fine," Jamie growled in irritation. The two glared at each other. The doctor was the first to give in.

Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he gazed curiously at Jamie. Reaching into his pocket, the doctor drew out a potion.

"Could you give this to her then?"

"If you would go away," Jamie grumbled as he accepted the warm bottle. The palm of his hand tingled slightly as he wrapped his fingers around the slender neck of the bottle.

"I promised Jill I wouldn't dig too much into your situation, but… please take good care of her. Even though she had made some mistakes, she is really a good person."

Smiling pleasantly, Alex nodded his thanks and turned around to head back to his clinic.

"Easy for you to say," the rancher grumbled as he pocketed the potion. Closing the door, Jamie strode over to the kitchen and pulled back a wooden chair, dropping disgustedly into it. Life wasn't going as planned –as usual.

The rancher pushed against the edge of the kitchen table, balancing on the chair's two hind legs. Tilting his head back, Jamie stared contemplatively at the ceiling. Losing the note was a setback, but he was sure that it wasn't possible to get all the remaining 50 notes within a year.

They should be focusing on finding the next note, which he believed was at the sheep festival near the end of summer. Looking at the current state of Jill's sheep, he could tell that she couldn't win against Blue Sky Ranch. Not that Jill mistreated her sheep –Blue and Ellen just had more experience than Jill.

His eyes drifted towards the stairs, wondering when Jill would finally come to her senses and come out of his room. Stupid. She can't accomplish anything by locking herself up –especially in his bedroom! Her time was better spent trying to find a solution.

Just when he believed that he couldn't think any worse of humankind, someone just had to prove him wrong… again. The villagers must all be in a "Do things to prove Jamie wrong" club. Jill was probably the founder of said club. The thought left a bitter taste in Jamie's mouth. Grumbling, the rancher leaned forward and sighed. Great, what was he going to do now? He was not going to be locked out of his own room.

The rancher eyed the small blue bowl sitting across from him and pushed back his chair. Grabbing the bowl of salad, Jamie stamped up the stairs and knocked loudly on his bedroom door.

His knocks echoed around the house. Other than the echoes and the sound of Jill's annoying pig squealing at something, there was no reply. Jamie frowned.

"How long are you planning on staying in there?"

Jill made no reply. Jamie rapped loudly on the door again, a large scowl plastered on his face.

"Do you think crying is going to do anything? I thought you were smarter than that. Apparently, I was wrong."

Jill bit her lip as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against her knees. The farmer twitched as a couple strands of hair insistently poked at her eyes. She had enough problems without Jamie banging on the door demanding things from her. She didn't feel like listening to Jamie at the moment but the logical side of her reminded her that Jamie was right. Crying wasn't going to change anything. She was more resourceful than that.

Jill sighed, shifting her head so that her cheek was pressed against her knee. She should be spending all the time she had in trying to find the next note. As long as she was still capable of finding notes, she should be working to save the village. The farmer breathed in deeply, slowly gathering her thoughts together.

"Just take your time answering me. I have all the time in the world," Jamie grumbled sarcastically.

"Just let me think for a while," Jill replied.

"You can think, but not in my room! Unlike you, I need sleep."

Jill couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"You could sleep on the couch… you know, like I always do," she said. "It's actually not that bad. Of course, a bed is definitely better, but…"

The farmer could imagine Jamie fuming on the other side of the door. Of course, she understood that this wasn't improving the relationship between the two of them but at the moment Jill needed a laugh or at least revenge for making her sleep on the couch everyday. Jill actually didn't mind sleeping on the couch though. She still got a good night's rest and that was all that mattered to her. Still… she wouldn't mind taking Jamie's room for one night.

"In that case, you don't get dinner," Jamie replied evenly as he leaned against the railing, eyeing the bowl of salad in his hand. "I'm sure you're hungry… after all, you haven't eaten since breakfast."

Jill glared at the floor as she felt her stomach rumble.

"I had made such a healthy salad too… you sure you don't want it?"

Jamie smirked as the door clicked open.

"This better be the best salad I've ever tasted," Jill grumbled, holding her hand out.

* * *

The first rays of the morning sun trickled through the crack between Jamie's thick curtains, landing on the glass tabletop. Already awake, Jill was silently studying Jamie's suggestions on methods to find the rest of the musical notes they needed.

"Sheep festival…" Jill murmured quietly to herself. Jamie had won last year. With his help, she was confident that victory was assured. However… there was always the chance that Ellen and Blue could win.

The farmer sighed as she stared thoughtfully at the piece of paper. She couldn't leave anything to chance this time. Were there any methods to increase the chances of them getting the note fairly?

Jamie… if only he could receive notes. Jill furrowed her brow. He, unlike the villagers, was capable of finding notes –he just couldn't receive them. The only reason he couldn't receive notes was because he didn't care about the village. Perhaps she could change that.

Jill straightened in her seat. She had to change that in order to increase the chances of them getting the note.

"You're up early."

Jill raised her head and smiled politely.

"I'm just making up for the time I wasted yesterday."

"Hmph. You could have saved me a lot of trouble if you realized the stupidity of it before you broke down in the middle of the beach," Jamie grumbled as he sat across from her. Despite it being early, Jamie was awake and working hard on keeping his mask on.

Despite Jamie's comment, Jill maintained a smile on her face.

"You should relax a little," Jill suggested. The farmer leaned forward and tapped the piece of paper lying in front of her. "I found a method to increase our chances of getting the next note."

"How?" Jamie questioned, his frown still plastered on his face.

"You said you cared about the villagers correct?"

"No, you said that."

"But you do, don't you?" Jill pressed.

Jamie frowned as he gazed up at the ceiling.

"Some of them… to some degree."

Jill grinned.

"We'll try to find a method for you to get notes yourself."

Jamie appeared doubtful as he stared at Jill.

"There is no way you could convince me to care for every single idiotic human in this village."

"We'll start with a few… non-idiotic ones then."

Jamie turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"You're just wasting your time."


End file.
